A Friend in Heaven
by WinndSinger
Summary: It is the 1980's and Edward left home 10 years before to feed off the living. He is becoming very dark and isolated from humankind. Then he attempts to save a young God-loving girl and must watch over her for a few days. Some bondage scenes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Stephanie Meyers.

Chapter 1

**This takes place in the 1980's, Edward is very dark during this time, as he has left his family to feed off the living. **

**WARNING: There are some scenes in this story with bondage and nudity. **

"Stop crying!" his voice was cold and irate; "I'm trying to make you look nice!"

Shivering, the girl kept her eyes downward, staring at her bare knees, trying to forget that she was naked and tied to the wooden dining room chair. Her vision was so blurred, as the tears wouldn't stop drowning her eyes. The man across from her face was in his 20's, brown short hair, a bit spiky. He had a beard, mustache. Mentally she was trying to remember every detail of her captors, all three of them, for when the police would ask. If she was lucky enough to ever see the police. The odds were not very good; she loved to watch crime shows and 9 times out of 10, police found the body, already dead.

And in her heart, she felt it. She was not going to be saved. They had stripped her, but they were not molesting her, yet. Now this one in front of her was trying to apply eyeliner to her wet eyes to "make her look nice". They were stinging now, in the corners. Not knowing what they were planning was driving her insane. Obviously, it was something sexual, but what were they waiting for?

A phone call had been placed in the beginning, while they were holding her down and tying her up. She had been too loud, and they gagged her with her own belt…it was so tightly fastened, her mouth was forced open a bit, unable to make speech very clearly. Her jaw was throbbing too, but that was okay. This minor discomfort was acceptable when the thoughts raced through her mind of what they could and certainly would be doing to her soon.

"Leave her alone." one of the others said. This one was in his 30's, very refined in the way he spoke and dressed. Not wearing jeans like the other two, he wore a gray suit, very expensive looking. He was obviously the one in command, the one who had placed the phone call, and the one who gave the orders to the other two.

"She looks fine the way she is.", the one in charge continued, tilting his head to look their new girl over. Her body is perfect, the man observed, as it should be when the girl is 16 years old and an athlete. I chose her well. She'll sell in ten minutes once the buyer sees her. Make up won't do anything but make her look cheap. She has natural beauty. She will sell.

"How long will it take this guy to get here?" the third man asked nervously, peeking out the girl's living room window, turning another light off inside the foyer.

"He lives close by." the one in the suit didn't look nervous in the least. He had done this many times before and it showed.

Another man was coming here she thought, and then whatever her fate was would be in his hands from what they were saying. Trying to suppress her terror, she heard a small whimper escape her lips. No one paid any attention to her and she was glad, for the time being. Time went on like ten eternities as they waited in the dark.

"Someone is coming." the one at the window exhaled his cigarette smoke, and was about to drop his cigarette on the floor when the one in the suit stopped him verbally.

"Don't." he warned, "DNA left behind is not a great idea."

"Oh yea." the man winced, realizing his mistake. He pinched the end of the cigarette closed with his fingers and stuck it in his jeans pocket. This one in the suit was good, she heard herself think, a career criminal well versed in the ways of the law. She was dead.

The man in the suit got up, a little bored looking, and peeked out the window.

"Yes, that's him." he confirmed, "I've worked with this buyer before. No risk, relax. Our only fear is that he doesn't like the merchandise. And even that is not a problem. He's not our only client."

Closing her eyes tight, she realized yet another one was coming to look at her this way. The humiliation burned like fire as her wrists twisted a slow firm circle within the tight white ropes around them. They were starting to cut off the circulation now. Her hands felt cold and numb.

A serious knock of two raps was enough to make her want to vomit. Hold it together, she told herself. Wait for a chance to get away. Keep your eyes open. She didn't want to but she did it. Looking at the familiar yellow wall in front of her, she waited. Not wanting to dare turn to look at the door, she stared straight ahead, not moving, not even breathing much.

The man in the suit's voice greeted the knocker after the door slowly opened.

"Welcome Mr. Cullen.", the man said, and a slow confident set of footsteps sounded on her mother's wooden floor, entering without a word.

See next chapter !

WinndSinger


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*** Edward is very evil in this chapter – enjoy !***

The man in the suit's voice greeted the knocker after the door slowly opened.

"Welcome Mr. Cullen.", the man said, and a slow confident set of footsteps sounded on her mother's wooden floor, entering without a word.

"Thank you." the quiet male voice replied as if this was a social meeting instead of the end of her life.

"You remember my rules, correct?", the man in the suit began politely.

"Of course." the new male voice sounded younger, almost teenage to her ears.

He held up his arms, waiting a moment as the one who'd been at the window patted him down, feeling up and down his legs for weapons or wires.

"He's good." the man announced, finished with his check.

"I do trust you, son." the suited man almost apologized, "You've never given me any cause to doubt you, but I must protect myself and my interests always."

"I understand." the young man's voice answered, not insulted at all.

"Let's get right to it, then." the one in charge got to his business, putting his hand on the shoulder of his young client, bringing him over to the chair off to the far right of the house.

"This is Samantha.", the one in the suit introduced her as if this were a date, "She is 16 years old, she is athletic, right now she's on the swim team, and seems very quiet, not difficult like the last one I acquired for you. Sorry about her."

The young voice gave a chuckle, folding his arms. "It's alright, I enjoyed her. It was fun to make her obey."

"Oh good.", the suited one sounded relieved his client liked his last purchase. She felt herself crying again, hating herself for her weakness. She wanted to be tough in their eyes, to spit in their faces and call them sons of bitches.

"Where is she now?" the one in charge asked, only curious, not really caring for the former girl.

With a grin, the young man's voice simply replied, "Sadly, pretty little things break far too easily."

"Yes.", the man in the suit sounded like a car salesman to her ears suddenly, "Well, take a look at her and let me know what you think."

"Hmmm.", the young voice came a bit closer to her, slowly, not putting hands on her yet. The tension was physically painful and she let out a small anguished breath, almost panting, trying to stop the tears.

"She's a little scared." the one in charge informed, shrugging, "Pay no attention."

"She should be." the young voice was smooth as silk as he finally stood right before her. The other two men chuckled at this remark, watching from a small distance.

Samantha was quivering all over, not able to control it. She hadn't seen the man's face yet but she wanted to, in the small hope that if she survived, she could identify him too.

The young man was wearing a long black leather coat and as she was looking at his sleeve, his arm moved, his hand coming towards her.

She leapt with a violent jerk, a small yelp tearing out of her throat as the other men laughed.

"See?" the one in the suit smiled, "Very timid. You should have no aggravation with this one."

The young man in the leather coat before her tried again, his hand was not violent or rough, but cool and hard. His finger curled under her wet chin, giving it a small tap, urging her to look up at him.

"Come on." he coaxed as if talking to a pony.

Without even deciding to, she found her eyes slowly moving up, seeing his legs, strong and muscular looking within the tight black stonewashed jeans. Under the leather jacket, he wore a white t-shirt, not hiding his perfectly chiseled chest beneath. Her eyes touched his face at last. His chin had a slight cleft in it, his cheekbones perfect and sloped towards his full pink lips. Most of all, his eyes were strangely beautiful, too stunning to be normal. A weird color glinted in his pupils that she couldn't make out too well in the dark. His hair was a mixture of red and dark brown, it swept upward, a few hairs served as wisps of bangs and the length was a bit past his neck, but not yet touching his shoulders. One diamond stud earring in his earlobe, saying he was straight not gay.

He looked down at her, getting a little closer, studying her eyes that she hoped were speaking volumes of hate to his right now.

"I wanted blue eyes." Edward's lips formed a small frown, "These are green."

Screw you ! was the first thing that came to her mind.

"What's the difference?", the man in his 20's chimed in out of turn.

Edward shot him a look of defiance.

"Shut up." the one in the suit ordered his employee, then to Edward, still spoke like that salesman trying to close the deal.

"Very sorry, Mr. Cullen." he began, "I thought they were blue. Of course, I can always drop the price, as you are a loyal customer."

She couldn't believe she was hearing this. Now he was marking her down like a dented can.

He gave a small sigh, looking her over some more, touching her almost black hair softly, trailing a finger down her neck towards her shoulder, leaving an icy trail behind, then stopped, taking his hand away.

"Price?" Edward almost sang the question, not taking his eyes off her little face.

"For you", the suited man replied calmly, "And since the eyes weren't right, seven thousand dollars."

"Any others besides her?" Edward asked, as if only out of curiosity.

"One or two." the suited man informed, "But they are older, not what you prefer."

The silence was long after that. Samantha wondered what these guys would do to her if this boy didn't want to buy her. She'd probably be killed right then. A tear ran down her cheek, either way, she'd never see her parents again, or her little brother, the little jerk. Right now, she'd kiss him if she ever got to see him again.

"Wrap her up." Edward finally said after a long deadly silence, agreeing to accept the merchandise.

See next chapter

Love

WinndSinger


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Wrap her up." Edward finally said after a long deadly silence, agreeing to accept the merchandise.

The man in the suit gave him a wicked smile, then the pair shook hands briefly. The suited one was used to the icy fingers of his most esteemed client.

The two employees of the one in charge took over their duties now, preparing the package for shipment.

Edward's eyes gave a glance at the girl's face again before they encircled her, starting to loosen the tight ropes around her bare ankles.

"Drink, Sir?" the suited one offered, going over to the girl's dining room table in the next room.

"Why not?" Edward smirked, laughing at a private joke in his head.

'I would love a drink', he said truthfully, but in his mind, it wasn't brandy he desired, but the suited one's blood. But he couldn't do that right now. He had to wait a while longer. Damn.

The salesman in the gray suit took out two small crystal glasses, looking over the bottles of alcohol in the family's liquor cabinet. He finally found something he liked, and began to pour a small amount of crimson liquid into the little glass goblets.

Feet away, Edward could hear the sounds of the other two with the girl.

"Hold still before I cut your throat!" the one in his 20's shouted all of a sudden, making the man in the suit give a little jump. It was obvious that one was a loose canon, too hyper and violent for the suited man's taste.

"Cheers," the one in the suit gave Edward his glass, then raised his own, taking a small sip of the drink.

"To your health." Edward made another private little joke, forcing himself to toss the glass back into his mouth, swallowing it down in one gulp. A heat came off the drink as it coated his throat, but blood was better, hotter.

"I do hope they aren't scuffing up my property." Edward smiled softly, listening to the shuffling in the other room, "I hate it when things don't look brand new."

"If you'll excuse me" the man in the suit received the message and went out to the other room to oversee things.

Placing his glass down on the wooden table, Edward turned in a casual twirl, looking at the wall beside him. There were lots of pictures there, mostly of little Samantha. Her parents were in a couple of the shots, smiling happily and proudly. Surprised to see so many photos of her in exotic and distant places, he leaned in, knowing them all by sight alone.

China, Japan, Hawaii to name a few, but there were lots more. This didn't look like the home of a super rich family. There was certainly no security system here or else they all wouldn't be freely coming in and out as they pleased. Puzzled, Edward walked away from the wall, going over to look out the window.

'GOD NO PLEASE!' her thoughts punctured his brain to his confusion. He had been trying to block her thoughts out for now.

"You'll have plenty of air.", the man who'd been smoking informed coldly to the struggling girl, "It won't be a long drive."

She sobbed loudly, terrified. Edward closed his eyes and made himself breathe.

'Just do what they say so I can get you out of here' he thought and he wished she could hear his mind. He wished he could kill them all now, he wanted to. But there were other girls. He had to be a bit more patient for just a short time longer. Then they would pay.

A few minutes later, the man in the suit came back in, smiling.

"All set." , he announced, taking a look back as the two men rolled a metal drum on its side, taking it to the client's car outside, "You left the trunk open again?"

"Yes it's open." Edward crossed his arms, exhaling, trying to look relieved in front of the salesman.

"Cash?" the suited one looked at Edward, ready to transact the monetary exchange.

"It's there.", Edward gave a nod to the table, a full brown envelope staring back at him, "I'll wait if you wish to count it."

"No need with you, Mr. Cullen.", the man replied, shaking Edward's hand again, adding, "I wish all my clients were like you. You are always a perfect customer."

"I'm touched." Edward gave a sly smirk to the man.

"Enjoy.", the suited man was ready to have Edward leave now.

"I shall." Edward said, putting on his black sunglasses and turned away, walking out the door and to his car.

"Thanks guys." Edward made himself smile at the two men who'd loaded his trunk.

"Thank **you.**", the man in his 20's smiled widely, about to be paid for his services. Too bad the one in the suit was planning to kill this one tonight for his sloppiness, Edward had so looked forward to finishing this one himself. Oh well, disappointment was life and Edward knew that so well.

Starting his car, he backed out gracefully in one curled swoop, changing gears and charging off fast down the little neighborhood road.

"MOM!", he could hear her screams from the trunk behind him, amplified by the echo within the metal container she was in. He swallowed, hating this part. He looked at his car clock, bright neon green numbers told him it would be another half hour until he reached home.

"Damn it." , the vampire growled to himself.

"I can't breathe!" her cries were maddening to the driver of the car, only moments in.

Edward almost rolled his eyes but stopped himself. If you can scream, you can breathe, he thought in a second, as a reflex, but he didn't want to mock the girl's pain and terror. It was quite real and he hated that he had to make her go through this part of it. But they would follow Edward's car, just to make sure he wasn't a cop.

"Daddy PLEASE!", she sobbed, her little hands trying to slam against the drum in some feeble hopes of escape.

I can't bear this, Edward realized to himself and quickly flipped the radio on, turning it up loudly.

"Take these broken wings…", the singer was male, "And learn to fly again, learn to fly so free."

Mister Mister. Yuk. Edward flipped the station, and between the songs, he could hear her again, speaking no words at the moment, but a guttural scream that came down from her esophagus. It almost chilled Edward more.

He turned, making his eyes focus on the road; not that he needed to even see it, but maybe it would take his mind off the girl. On the highway now, the car sped up to 102 miles an hour, only straight pavement ahead. Staring at the yellow lines on the tar road, he tried to will his mind to forget her.

"'Cause it's a thriller", the new song played a bit too loudly. Michael Jackson was the newest craze these days but honestly, his voice hurt Edward's ears.

"Thriller night, you're fighting for your life inside a thriller, thriller." Michael sang on.

Michael Jackson, Edward gave a scoff, telling the world about thrillers and monsters and the undead. Edward had seen the whole video, a few times. MTV played it obsessively. How much crazier was this world going to get, anyway? He kept waiting for people to become normal again, but sadly, they just kept getting worse.

Ten minutes into the drive, things seemed to quiet in the trunk. Edward turned down the radio, but didn't need to. He could hear her mind if he just allowed himself to dip inside those waters.

Whispering, she trembled all over, he could hear her saying, "O Jesus, while I adore Your dying breath, I beg You to receive mine. Since I do not know whether I shall have command of my senses when I depart from this world, I offer You even now my last agony and all the sorrows of my passing. I give my soul into Your hands for You are my Father and my Savior. Grant that the last beat of my heart may be an act of perfect love for You. Amen."

He had never heard this prayer before. Usually, a person who doesn't normally pray will go with Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, and so forth, but this one was different. He liked it, giving her last agony to God, praying for strength as Jesus had when he perished.

She recited the prayer again and again. Edward was about to turn the radio on but he stopped himself. It wasn't right to drown out a prayer, especially this brave one.

I wish you could hear me, Edward squeezed his eyes shut, thinking maybe if he concentrated hard enough, he could force his thoughts into her mind.

I will not hurt you. I will not kill you. I will not rape you. He kept sending messages to her but the praying continued.

"Fuck." Edward heard himself bite down in his teeth, and he gave up trying. Ten more minutes until they'd get home.

Listening a few miles away, he realized the three men had given up their pursuit of his car.

"Finally." Edward felt a surge of relief, turning down a dirt road, off the highway.

See next chapter

Love

Winndsinger


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Listening a few miles away, he realized the three men had given up their pursuit of his car.

"Finally." Edward felt a surge of relief, turning down a dirt road, off the highway.

This was a secret way to his house that he liked to use often. He could pull up to the back of the house and no one could see anything for miles around him, except trees. It was nicely far away from all human contact, isolated, just like himself.

At last, he was pulling into his garage, closing the automatic door behind him. All the lights were off and Edward kept them off, darkness was better than light right now. She would be naked when he took her out of the drum so that would spare her some unneeded humiliation. And also, she wouldn't be able to see him too clearly either.

He got out quickly, slamming his door, popping the trunk open and taking a cleansing breath. One hand of his grabbed the handle on top of the drum and pulled it out carefully with ease.

Her breathing was heavy inside, and started to speed up as he took the drum through another doorway into the basement. It didn't look like most human basements. It was completely furnished and warm, complete with a little bar area to the right.

Placing the drum down with meticulous precision, Edward pushed on the lip of the top, making the metal break there to free the lid. For humans, a crobar would be needed, but for Edward, only his finger would do it.

He looked down at the floor a moment before making himself lift the lid up. A little ball of heat rose up from inside as he tossed the lid on the floor in the corner, hearing her voice give a small whimper, fear.

"Samantha?" Edward tried to make his voice sound pleasant, "Time to come out. Slowly try to stand up."

She didn't move. Her heart was pounding wildly. He had to say something more to ease her a bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you Samantha." Edward almost whispered, hoping this would do it.

At this point in Edward's life, he was often annoyed with humans. His patience was very short and after so many years of living off the blood of wrong doers, some of their essence was left behind in him. He was a bit cold sometimes with them. He hadn't been in high school or college for 10 years now and he was losing touch with people, so he knew he didn't always behave the way he should.

He did try, especially with these girls he tried to rescue. But they didn't always just fall into his arms and scream their thanks. They saw him, too, as a bad guy, and they should. He had to play that part for the criminals so why should the girls believe him 30 minutes later when he tried to tell them he was only trying to help?

"Please come out now." Edward grinded his teeth, getting aggravated so soon in.

Still nothing.

He was mad now. "Fine" he smiled with a sarcastic grin, "Have it your way."

With one quick jerk of his hand, the drum tipped over on its side, and dumped the little naked girl onto the black carpet with a soft thud and a high pitched squeal.

A slight look of annoyance crossed his face as he took the empty drum and its lid out to the garage next door, closing it behind him as he came back in.

She crawled over to the corner of the room like a little mouse, her arms wrapped around her breasts and she trembled, burying her face in her arms too. Crying like a little child, she waited for what was about to come now.

'He's going to rape me, I know it.", he heard her thinking in horror, 'Then he'll torture me and probably kill me. Pretty things break too easily he said. Oh God, please, don't leave me."

He tried to ignore this, and went to a dresser on the far other side of the basement.

Sweatpants, t-shirt, socks, he grabbed them and went to the refrigerator behind the bar area, grabbing a bottle of spring water, frost still tingling on the glass bottle. Weeks ago, he had gone out and purchased a supply of comfortable clothes for the girls he was going to rescue.

"Samantha", Edward came back near her, but didn't get too close.

He placed the pile of clothes on the floor and said, "Get dressed."

"And here's some water for you.", he put the bottle down next to the clothes, "It's nice and cold."

Without expecting an answer, he backed away, going back over to the other end of the room, picking up the receiver of his white phone and hitting the plastic keys until he heard the ring.

"Detective Langston", a male voice answered as usual.

"This is your friend." Edward greeted with no emotion.

Edward was certainly not anyone's friend , really, especially a human, but this detective only knew Edward as "a friend". Years ago, this man had seen what Edward was, witnessing him kill a man he was trying to catch. They had an understanding and from time to time, Edward would help this one. Actually, they tended to help each other. The last few girls he had purchased would go with the detective to a safe house until Edward could bring the men down who ran this slave girl ring.

"Hello friend.", the detective's voice suddenly became serious and interested, knowing who it was. The voice was clearly that of an African American man in his 30's.

"I have another girl for you." Edward informed, taking a peek at the frail looking thing in the corner. She was quickly putting the shirt on, not making eye contact with him.

"You move fast, my friend." Detective Langston sounded worried

"I have a lot of time on my hands." Edward sighed, not wanting to talk this much in front of the girl.

"Obviously.", the voice on the other end replied, "But there's a problem."

"What's that?", Edward's voice was low and deep, sounding gloomy.

"Can't take her off your hands right now.", he said matter of factly, "My funds are zero and since I'm doing this on my own free time the department won't help us out."

"I have funds." Edward frowned. Everyone was out for money, thinking only of themselves. He was so sick of humans he would vomit if he could.

"It's not that, friend, I don't want your money.", Detective Langston sounded insulted, "But I don't have the men or house to keep her safe. Looks like she's your problem this time."

"What am I supposed to do with her?", Edward almost shouted. She had the pants on now, too, and slipped a sock onto her right foot.

"Do what every safe house does, you let her sit around and wait until it's safe. Let her watch MTV, kids love that shit." The detective sounded amused.

Sighing, Edward let this go and informed, "There may be a couple more women they told me. In a few days, I'll meet up with them again and see if I can get the rest."

"I guess I'm not going to be arresting those guys when you're done, huh?"

"You guess correctly, my friend." Edward smiled to himself, "A man's gotta eat you know."

"Okay I know.", the voice accepted this without a fight, "Let me know when you're going to them again."

"I will." Edward said curtly.

"Have fun with your new friend, too.", he gave a chuckle and hung up.

Jerk, Edward turned and hung up the receiver. He thinks it's funny that a vampire who's hungry has to entertain a young human girl for a few days in his private secluded mansion.

See next chapter

Love, WinndSinger


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Have fun with your new friend, too.", he gave a chuckle and hung up.

Jerk, Edward turned and hung up the receiver. He thinks it's funny that a vampire who's hungry has to entertain a young human girl for a few days in his private secluded mansion.

Well, there was always my private little stash, Edward opened the refrigerator again, taking a small bottle out, shaking it up. It looked to the girl like tomato juice.

Taking a small gulp of his 'juice', the man looked back at her again. She was sitting in the corner still, shivering, afraid to take the water, afraid of everything.

"I'm going to stay over here for awhile." Edward broke the silence, making her body jump, "You can drink your water, it's safe. I won't bother you."

His voice was a little gruff and unfeeling, she thought as she considered reaching for the water bottle. Evian water, she saw the label, fancy bottled water. She didn't trust this, he was being too nice.

"I want to tell you.", Edward began as he always did with the girls he saved lately, "I mean you no harm. The way I acted back at your house, that was for the benefit of the men who kidnapped you. I have been working with a policeman to get their trust so I can find all the girls they have abducted. I apologize for scaring you but as I said, you are safe here. You can drink the water."

The bottled blood was mediocre in taste; cold and stale. Dead blood from a hospital. Edward put it down on the counter, hopping up and sitting on it as he looked at the girl. She still didn't believe him or trust him. This was going to be a long few days.

Her blood was sweet smelling, the scent of lemon trapped in it. He wanted to get away from her but it wasn't safe yet. She'd try to run and he had to baby sit her now, he was the cop on duty to guard her here. It was the equivalent to asking a starving man to watch a porterhouse steak for a few days. He didn't like this. He needed to feed on warm flesh soon. A few days was too long. He wouldn't make it.

Entertain her, Edward thought, standing up to go get the remote control for the TV.

"No!", she flew back into the wall, smacking her head with a hard thud sound, she began crying quietly, her one eye peeking at him from under her long black hair.

"It's okay.", Edward assured, stopping in his tracks, putting his hands up, "I was just going to turn the TV on for you."

"I don't watch TV.", she finally spoke, in a whisper, still so terrified.

"You don't watch TV?" Edward raised a brow, "I thought every kid always watched TV."

"I'm not every kid.", she said back, a little tone of defiance there.

"Whatever.", Edward heard himself say, going to the coffee table anyway, getting the remote.

His back was facing her now, only a couple feet away. Samantha remembered watching all those criminal shows, saying to her father, If that were me, I'd do something, fight back to get free. He had told her she didn't know how she'd react in that real life situation, but she had scoffed at him, saying, the ones who survive are the ones who dare to fight back.

"Don't do it Samantha." Edward warned with a casual voice, not turning towards her. Then to scare her away from him, he added, "If you're bad, I'll have to give you a good spanking."

At this, she leapt up, grabbed the glass water bottle and smashed it against the corner of a table nearby. It broke nicely, water exploding onto the floor and herself, and the jagged edges of the broken bottle made a sharp weapon.

Edward turned slowly, knowing what he'd see before he saw it. He decided to be patient with her, for as long as he could. Anger would not help his thirst go away.

"Samantha", Edward said her name in a calm monotonous tone.

"Get back, FUCKER!", she tried to sound tough, cursing. She hated to curse. But she, too, was playing a part now, to save herself.

A smile rose up on Edward's lips as he replied, "You know my name, how nice of you."

"Get AWAY!", she screamed, her quivering hand grasped the broken bottle tight, thinking she had a chance to escape.

Poor little girl, Edward thought, she was going to be a nuisance to watch over these next few days.

"I am trying very hard to be patient with you Samantha.", Edward informed, controlling himself, "I said I won't hurt you. Put that down before you hurt **yourself**."

If she cut herself accidentally, it would be too much to see her blood. He would have to have it.

"Move away from the phone!", she demanded with a shrill shriek, "Get over there, in the corner."

Edward gave a bitter laugh. "You don't think for a moment that you're gonna put me into a corner, do you?"

"NOW!", she screamed. She thought she'd get to call her Dad if she could get to the phone. Edward didn't want that. He handled the parents of these girls himself, not wanting the police alerted and the press to tell everything that was happening. It would ruin the work he was trying to do. Not to mention, the men he wanted to feed on.

"I can see I'm going to have to be stern with you Samantha.", he sighed, not wanting to, but then added, "You give me no choice."

In a flash, he was upon her, his ice cold hands grabbed her wrists.

"Careful.", his voice was in her ears, speaking gently, again, like she was a stubborn horse he had to break, "Drop it."

He didn't like being this close to her struggling body, it tempted him to drink. He wanted to do this quickly and get away from her again.

"Drop it before I break your wrist.", he threatened with a cold sneer. He intended to scare her away so he could move away from her. If he stayed this close for too long, he would need her blood.

His hands were like metal handcuffs, not soft and pulsing as a man's would be when trying to hold her still. It didn't seem to take any effort at all on his part to hold her.

But she didn't drop it. He was getting angry now. Did she want to be killed?

"One…", the man's voice growled, counting down, giving her one last chance to do as he said, "Two…don't make me say three, Samantha. DROP – IT – NOW."

She let go of it, and it landed on the rug without breaking any further.

"Good girl." Edward gave her a small praise, but then took her to the nearby sofa, black leather exterior.

"Sit.", he barked the order roughly, holding her hands together with his one hand. It was still the strongest hold he had over her, she couldn't budge her hands at all.

He could not have this going on for days, he had to restrain her, make her be still so the monster in him would behave. The demon wasn't used to pretty human company.

"I tried to be nice, remember that.", Edward said as he bit on a roll of duct tape, sticking the end on her wrist, then wrapped it around her wrists about ten or eleven times, securing them. Then he did the same to her ankles, just in case, taping around the socks so there wouldn't be much pain in removing that later.

"My father is a lawyer!" she screamed, trying to fight him off.

Big deal, I'm a vampire, Edward thought, smirking to himself as he finished her ankles. Both of us are bloodsuckers, he thought with a grin.

"He will put you in the gas chamber!", she threatened, feeling the rape was coming soon.

Smiling wider, Edward stood up, taking the roll of tape with him. He stopped, looking at her again.

"You'll be on death row for about 10 years first, too.", she shouted, "Every prisoner there will rape your ass every day! You'll be prison MEAT!"

At this, Edward turned back to her, sighing and tearing a piece of duct tape off the roll, with one palm sticking it over her protesting mouth.

"There", he said, feeling more at ease now, "When you calm down, we'll talk again. Or, I'll talk – you'll listen.."

Picking every little piece of glass off the carpet, Edward threw it away in the adjoining garage. He came back into the basement, sitting back on the counter near the bar, taking his bottle again and drinking a couple of sips, not enjoying it very much, but it was better than being hungry. This thirst was putting him in a fowl mood. If this girl was going to be around, and be this impossible, he'd have to feed on someone soon.

A drug dealer would come to the house if Edward called him. Like a pizza being delivered, that was very convenient. But the girl couldn't see him kill anyone. He'd have to keep her down here during her stay.

Flipping channels on TV, Edward tried to quiet the girl down. This seemed to pacify humans, this box of lights. He saw on one screen a little red MTV logo at the bottom and he left that on for her. Detective Langston had suggested that

"Watch the videos like a quiet little girl.", Edward suggested as if she were three years old, "If you behave maybe I'll feed you later."

see next chapter

WinndSinger


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Watch the videos like a quiet little girl.", Edward suggested as if she were three years old, "If you behave maybe I'll feed you later."

A huge part of himself felt sorry for her as he went back to his side of the basement. Maybe tomorrow she'd see he meant her no harm and would begin to listen. He hoped so. This fighting was bringing out his dark side and he knew it. The monster in him was hugely there in the last ten years, finding pleasure in being cruel to those humans he fed on. Lately, though, Edward felt himself enjoying it more and more…and now he even took a hint of delight in being in control of these innocents he had encountered recently. And that scared him. He was starting to change from what he was back when he lived with Carlisle and Esme. The monster was starting to overpower Edward. He doubted his parents would even recognize him now, even if he did go home to them. Carlisle would send him away, seeing the new evil inside his first adopted son.

Edward decided to write in his journal now, that seemed to quiet the beast inside him. He loved to make entries often of his strange afterlife, to document the change from boy to demon. Maybe someday someone could use this to their advantage.

The room was still pitch black, except for the TV light. The bottle Edward drank from was almost empty, but not quite. He felt as full as the bottled stuff would make him feel, anyway.

I hate that it made me feel good when I taped her wrists together., Edward wrote, using an old fashioned ink pen, dipping it in again to keep writing.

'Something wrong inside me wants to be closer to her', he wrote,' but I'm staying as far away from her as I can. I really don't want to hurt her anymore.'

About 30 minutes had gone by when he heard her clearing her throat. She had been perfectly silent until then and Edward was glad for the brief serenity. Was she trying to summon him over, or was she really just thirsty ? He looked up at her.

"Are you alright?", he asked without alarm, not getting up.

The tape would have to come off her mouth now, if she had a sore throat it would be dangerous to keep her mouth sealed up. He rose slowly, not wanting to alarm her again, and went to his refrigerator, taking another bottle of cold water for her.

"Don't be afraid.", Edward came closer to her, kneeling on the floor at the couch's side.

He opened the bottle of water, dripping some onto his fingers first, then moved them over her taped mouth, loosening the glue on the inside a bit. He peeled it off her mouth slowly, with supernatural ability, not even pulling a hair or hurting the skin.

It was off now, and Edward tossed it to the floor beside him. Her breath came out in a full long gush, relieved to run freely again.

She didn't scream this time, as Edward's beautiful eyes stared at hers like a panther's would, watching its prey carefully.

"Alright Samantha.", Edward looked at her seriously, "Would you like some water NOW?"

She nodded shyly, expecting him to free her hands now.

"Oh no no," Edward gave a little shake of his head, "Those hands stay as they are. If you want water, it'll be me who'll give it."

She looked a little confused as Edward took the bottle in his hand and began to bring it to her mouth, looking into her eyes and saying, "Open up."

Is he serious ?, she thought at this, feeling the glass of the bottle gently rest upon her bottom lip. She opened her mouth slightly, afraid he'd pour it in too roughly.

"Trust.", he said in a deep voice, gently lifting the bottle end up. He could read her thoughts to know when she needed air and when she had to swallow.

"Good.", he smiled a bit after the first mouthful went down successfully, then asked, "More?"

"Please.", she spoke to him now, opening her mouth a bit as he brought the bottle to her lips again.

She is very pretty, the burning voice of the vampire Edward commented in his brain. I love the way she swallows the water, as if she can hardly breathe. Her mouth is so sultry, the full pink lips. I adore a helpless young girl, bound here in our grasp.

SILENCE you fowl thing !, the boy half of Edward kicked the cage the demon was trapped in, not wanting to hear it anymore.

"MMMM", the girl's voice was pleading for air, the bottle of water still pouring it in. Edward snapped back to earth, stopping the bottle and taking it away.

Her back was arched up before he took it away, the water had run a bit down her throat, catching Edward's full attention.

"Sorry ,sorry.", he winced, wiping the water down her neck a bit as she coughed for a second or two. Desire was beating in his body, her throat glistened like it was covered with stars.

"Do you want more?", he asked, needing to move away from her, and begged in his mind, 'please say no.'

"No thank you.", she said with a little voice, timid now. Edward was sure he had scared her earlier. Good, he thought, that would keep her away and listening to his requests to keep her safe.

"Do you need anything else?", Edward asked politely.

"No.", she shivered a bit, making quick eye contact with him, then darted her eyes down into her lap.

"Well if you change your mind, let me know.", he offered, sitting on the floor a few feet away from her, pretending to watch the TV, his arms around his knees.

"Can I ask you one thing ?", she dared to speak to him again. He did scare her, but sometimes his eyes had a glint of humanity there, a niceness that she almost trusted.

"Sure.", he didn't look away from the TV.

"Are you going to sell me now?", she asked, trembling in her voice, "To someone else?"

Edward frowned and looked over at her, asking, "Where did you get that idea ?"

"Before,", she almost wept, "On the phone you said, I have another girl for you."

Edward pondered this and understood now, "Ohhh, no, you misunderstand. I was talking to a detective then. He usually takes care of the girls after I – buy them." He ended on an embarrassed note, hearing the way he sounded to her.

"You're a cop?", she squinted her green eyes, not believing it.

He's a kid, my age, she said in her mind.

"No I'm not a cop.", Edward laid his legs down on the floor in front of him, sighing, not wanting to explain what he was to her.

He didn't say anything else for a long time. He could hear her mind scrambling all over the place with a million questions.

"Can I ask you something else ?", she dared again.

"Ask.", he sounded annoyed, so much for only asking one thing.

"What are you going to do with me?", she asked softly.

"God, nothing.", he said simply, "I've told you that."

"Then why did you do this ?", she was confused and alone in this, "If you want to kill me – or something else – just please do it already! This is driving me insane, this waiting!"

Now he understood. The anticipation of something terrible coming was even worse than the event itself. What could he, a vampire hungry for human blood, say to calm her down? There was nothing.

"In time, you'll see that I mean you no harm.", Edward pretended to be bored, watching the screen, tilting his head a bit away from her.

"Where are your parents?", she blurted out before she could think about it first.

"I don't have any parents.", he half lied, his voice cold again.

"You bought this place all by yourself?", she almost challenged him.

With a huff of breath, Edward said, "Alright, I lied. I have a rich Daddy who loves me from afar, okay? So don't expect Mom and Pop to come in suddenly and save you. It's just the two of us here, for miles. You are going nowhere."

The two watched TV for a long time in silence. Edward found himself mad at her and didn't really understand why. She mentioned his parents. That was it. Edward really missed his adopted family a lot, but he knew it was over between him and them. They were vegetarians, he wasn't. He saw nothing wrong with taking some lives, and Carlisle couldn't make him believe it. The disappointment he had in his eyes when Edward left was still hurting him, ten years later.

"Don't go Edward, please.", Carlisle had said that night as his son came down the stairs, a bag in hand.

"It's not a good idea that I stay, Carlisle.", he had told his father, sadly, "I'll only endanger the rest of you if I do."

"Will you write me and let me know where you are and how you're doing?" Carlisle asked, wanting some kind of promise that they'd keep in touch.

After a long silence, Edward had answered, "I don't know."

A weird noise snapped Edward out of his memories. It came from the girl. A gurgling sound in her stomach, hunger, the vampire recognized it too well.

"Dinner time?", he asked, getting up on his feet, moving back over towards the phone near the wall.

"No, I'm not hungry.", she lied, but why Edward wasn't sure. Her stomach said differently, though.

"Don't lie to me now, Samantha.", Edward ignored her voiced words and grabbed the phone book from a shelf under the bar, "I'll make you eat broccoli for dinner." He chuckled a little at this to himself, reading in her thoughts her most hated food.

He flipped through to the yellow pages, finding the page he wanted. He didn't ask her what she wanted, though.

"I'm gonna make a call in a second.", Edward announced, looking at her from the bar, "You are not to make any noise in the background when I do. Understand?"

"Yes.", she said, looking a little deflated.

"I don't trust you.", he grinned, shaking his head, "Stubborn little-"

He bent down under the bar, then stood up holding a fresh hand towel. He twisted it up and came closer to her, the phone in his other hand.

"Open.", he demanded without softness here. She was about to speak when he firmly but carefully held her jaw in his cold fingers, and before she knew it, the cloth slid inside her mouth, going deep down until it began to gag her a bit, muffling her voice to near silence.

"Just for a minute.", he assured, holding his hand over her mouth now, keeping the cloth securely in place as she struggled.

"I sincerely hope they don't place me on hold.", he seemed amused now, dialing the plastic keys quickly, knowing this made her breathing impossible.

"Yes", Edward spoke as the other end of the line was picked up.

At this, she began trying to scream through the towel but he held it down tighter, blocking off all air and noise.

"I'd like 1 pint of shrimp with lobster sauce.", he ordered, so cool in his demeanor as if nothing were going on at all, "Two egg rolls, and a pint of Pork Lo Mein."

RRRRRRRR she tried to scream but it was useless, the cloth was starting to touch the back of her throat, she closed her eyes and bucked her body, kicking her legs against the leather sofa.

"Do you have anything to drink there?", he asked, sounding as if a smile were on his lips.

"Alright, I'll have one of those too then.", he agreed.

Samantha was listening suddenly, knowing maybe he'd have to give his name or address to the man on the phone.

"That's right.", he said, "Thank you, bye bye."

He disconnected the call by hitting the button on the phone face, then took his hand off her mouth. She felt the cloth loosen and she bent forward now, spitting it out, its warm wetness landing on her legs. Edward had gone to hang the phone on the wall.

He didn't make any moves to come back over to her. When she focused on him, he was putting the phone book back on its shelf.

"You almost suffocated me!", she found herself angry, yelling at him.

"It takes 3.5 minutes to die of suffocation.", he informed, "That was only 1 minute and 45 seconds. I thought you were on the swim team. Surely you can hold your breath for a long ,long time."

"In the water,", she yelled, "Not when a rag is stuffed down my throat and you shove it down harder!"

"That was not hard.", he said with no feeling, "When it is, you'll know."

"Why are you like this?", she was mouthing off again, her temper flaring.

"Like what?", he asked innocently, "I'm buying you dinner! A thank you wouldn't be out of place!"

"THANK YOU ?!", she raged, "THANK YOU!"

"You're welcome.", he answered, giving a little grin.

"You're not trying to keep me safe, you're just getting off on hurting me!", she spat out violently.

"Would you like to be hurt?", Edward asked, his hands on the bar. His eyes were deadly now, hauntingly beautiful but evil. "Because if I decide to hurt you, you won't even be able to complain about it. Now return to your quiet voice or I will be forced to get the tape again."

See next chapter


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Would you like to be hurt?", Edward asked, his hands on the bar. His eyes were deadly now, hauntingly beautiful but evil. "Because if I decide to hurt you, you won't even be able to complain about it. Now return to your quiet voice or I will be forced to get the tape again."

He felt her mind release the anger, forcing herself to be complacent and silent. Trembling again, his eyes had scared her. Thank god the lights were off, he thought, she didn't see the red color of them yet. Tomorrow morning she would definitely see them and he'd have to tell her something.

"Apologize.", he heard himself order.

With a whimper of defeat, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Okay, I ordered your food.", Edward said aloud, getting the phone again, "Now I'll order mine."

She saw this time he didn't come at her with that towel to muffle her screams again. Confused, she waited and watched him.

"Scream your head off this time if you like.", Edward answered her worries, "This guy will just rush here faster to join in the fun."

She decided to be quiet this time.

With a wink at her, Edward heard the man answer his phone.

"Hey", Edward began, "It's Tommy. You got some for tonight?"

His name is Tommy, she looked him over, he doesn't look like a Tommy.

"Yea, bring both.", Edward said, looking at his watch, "Come like around 1, my girlfriend will be here. Okay. Later."

He breathed a small sigh. Blood was on its way in a couple of hours, along with something that would help Samantha sleep through the night. Drug dealers, good ones, were great to feed upon. They came late to your home, no one would come looking for them later, and they didn't do drugs themselves, keeping themselves sharp to do business.

A minute passed. Edward was opening his wallet when she spoke softly to him again.

"Tommy?", she called him by his fake name.

"My name's not Tommy, Samantha.", he smirked.

"My name's not really Samantha, either.", she retorted.

"What is it then?", Edward frowned, wondering why the man would lie about her name.

"Sammi.", she told him her nickname. Maybe this was progress after all.

"Edward.", he gave a small nod, putting his wallet on the bar.

"Can I ask you something Edward?", she spoke carefully now.

"Go on.", he waited, hoping it wasn't more about his parents.

"How do you know, what I like to eat?", she wondered aloud, "That's always what I order when we do Chinese food at home. And I do loathe broccoli too. How did you know that?"

"I read your mind.", Edward answered, dripping with sarcasm. It was the truth, but she thought he was being rude again.

Edward washed out the little bottle of juice he'd been drinking in the bar sink, trying to make his mind switch gears. Now that he knew blood was coming tonight, he was strangely excited. It was like a drug itself, needing this human blood. He didn't like being addicted to it, tied up and helpless as poor Sammi, here. He was its slave.

"If you don't want to hurt me, then can you please untie me?", she tried to make him feel sympathy for her, uncurling her fingers slightly in their bonds.

"Sorry, we're out of sympathy today.", Edward kept his head void of feeling anything for her, "Maybe you'll get luckier tomorrow."

'Edward.", Sammi called his name as he was about to turn away. He kept his back to her, not wanting to look into her eyes anymore. He felt like a monster, in his bones.

"What?", he asked, his voice like ice.

"Thank you for getting me dinner." , she said, a little sadly.

Edward closed his eyes, the guilt covered him like a new skin

"I'll be back.",. He left the basement, closing the door to the garage behind him.

As soon as he was out the door, she lifted the tape around her wrists to her teeth, gnawing at the hard duct tape. God, he wrapped it around so many times, it would take forever to chew through this. With a little squeal, she tried to penetrate the tape with her side fang teeth, but it was too dark to tell if it had done any major damage. Tomorrow in the light she could get a better look at it.

She also jerked her ankles up and down in opposite directions, trying to loosen the tight grip of the tape.

In a few minutes, the door opened again and the dark, tall teenager was back, carrying a brown paper bag.

"Dinner is served.", he tried to sound as if he were joking but she was too terrified that he'd see what she'd been doing.

"I am starving.", she commented, telling the truth now.

"Me too.", he agreed, taking the white boxes of food out of the bag, placing them onto the coffee table beside the sofa.

"You don't like Chinese?", she asked, wondering why he didn't order himself anything.

"Now and then.", Edward admitted, a small chuckle escaping his perfect pouting lips.

"What's funny?" she asked.

"Nothing.", he wiped the smile away. Too bad, she thought, he has a nice smile. It almost makes you forget what a bastard he is.

Edward took the chopsticks out of their paper and pulled a chair up alongside the couch, at her side.

"Alright.", Edward smiled at her again, "What would we like to start with?"

She swallowed nervously, looking at his face.

"You're not thinking of feeding me yourself I hope.", Sammi shivered, not liking the idea of this.

"I am feeding you.", Edward stated right away, taking a medium sized shrimp from the carton, slowly putting it close to her lips, waiting.

"I'm waiting Sammi.", he reminded with a glint of irate energy in his eyes.

Slightly opening her lips, he placed the shrimp inside, smiling a bit as he watched her chew it quickly.

"Take your time, relax.", he suggested, not wanting her to get sick later.

"This is weird.", she shared, "I'm not used to having someone feed me."

"Wait until you have to go to the bathroom.", he said wickedly.

She gasped, jerking away suddenly.

"I'm kidding Sammi.", he cracked a crooked smile at her.

"Oh God, don't do that.", she felt herself turn bright red.

He laughed for a second and said, "I told you, I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. What I do now is to protect yourself – and me."

Another bite of shrimp with vegetables rose up to her lips and she took the bite, slowing her speed while she chewed now.

"Good.", Edward watched her, fascinated.

"Just relax and enjoy it.", he gave her a softer smile now, going to pick up an egg roll, "When I feel it's safe for you to wander around freely, I will release you. Okay?"

"Okay.", she agreed, trying to make her legs stop shaking.

"This is gonna be hard to eat without hands.", he informed, putting the egg roll up to her mouth, laughing, saying, "Bite it, good. You've got it."

"What are you going to have for dinner?", she was still curious about him.

"Something else.", he said without explaining.

"Maybe I can feed you later.", she tried to joke. She didn't know how correct she was.

"Maybe you can.", he said with a monotone voice.

"Now it's my turn to ask you something.", Edward announced as he put a straw into the can of coke, holding it up to her lips as she sipped it.

"Okay.", she swallowed.

"Are you one of those church girls?", he asked with a grin.

"What?", she frowned.

"I heard you praying, in the car.", he looked down into the food carton, "And I just wondered."

"I'm not a nut about it or anything like some of those people who go around screaming about sinners and going to hell, but, I do go to church sometimes. I talk to God a lot, just at times when I need him and –" she stopped suddenly, seeing his eyes darken a bit. He looked at her like she was nuts.

"What ?", she asked, "You don't talk to God?"

"There is no God.", Edward said flatly, as if he had proof of this, "I also don't write to Santa or dye eggs for the Easter Bunny."

And he held up another bite of shrimp covered with lobster sauce, shoving this piece into her mouth with a little force.

"How can you say that?", Sammi frowned more, chewing, "You don't know-"

"Look at where you are Sammi.", Edward's voice got loud suddenly, "God's not coming. He doesn't care about you or your life. Believe me, I know. How long can you call God before you realize he's not ignoring you, he's just not there?"

"You've been hurt.", Sammi realized, saying it aloud, "And you blame God for it."

"I wish I was merely hurt.", Edward argued, "You have no idea what I've been through."

"You have no idea what I've been though, either, Edward.", she said quietly, looking at him, "I don't think God is coming. He's already here. He's been with me a long time and seen me through some hard times."

"Hard times.", Edward laughed bitterly, "What do you know of hard times?"

"Plenty.", she said, "If you open your heart, Edward, he will come inside."

"I don't have one of those.", he informed, feeding her another bite of food.

"I doubt that.", she tried to smile, "You're feeding me dinner, aren't you? How bad can you be?"

"Very.", he replied quickly, "Don't trust me, Sammi. You're right to be on guard. I'm – not right. The reason I can't untie you is – I'm afraid what I might do if you were to touch me, run from me, get close to me. This way I can move away from you if I have to and you'll be safe."

"I don't understand you.", she pursed her lips, trying to see what he was saying.

"I know.", he answered.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A silence erupted between them. He kept feeding her, obviously irritated by her company. He was strange, she thought, one minute he was very sweet and fun, then, in a moment, he would change into someone completely alien and cold, like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. She had to admit it scared her. Maybe something was wrong with his mind, maybe a couple of personalities were occupying one space.

Edward could hear her mind working. Great, now she thought he was some kind of psycho that talked to trees or something. Change the subject, the God thing didn't work out very well.

"So you've traveled a lot, huh?", he tried to sound light again as if they were hanging out after school one day.

With a small crease in her forehead, she asked, "How do you know about that?"

"I saw the pictures in your house.", Edward fed her another bite, opening his mouth along with her as she did it.

"My parents have almost gone broke making sure I get to see every place I've ever dreamt about.", she tried to smile, but talking about her parents made her feel scared. She might never see them again.

Uh oh, uh oh, Edward thought, she's getting upset again, switch gears, ask something else…hurry.

"Open REAL BIG", he laughed, holding up a big clumped jumble of lo mein noodles over hear mouth, high enough so she couldn't reach it that well.

"Edward!", she couldn't help but giggle, trying to get it with her tongue, but failing, "Come on, I'm vertically challenged."

"Awww.", he chuckled, "Sorry, here." He lowered it down into her mouth and smiled at her, without anything bad getting in the way. He looked at the TV screen for a few minutes, interested in a guitar some guy was playing in a video.

Edward looked down to get the soda can again and heard a tiny sob escape her lips. Jerking his head up, he looked at her, tears ran down her cheeks on both sides, the bluish reflection from the TV made her look like a blue angel.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling a lump in the pit of his stomach.

"Nothing." , she lied, and she burst out crying, her head dropping as she wept.

"Sammi.", Edward put the soda down, not sure what to do. Before he knew it, he was stroking her long ebony hair.

"Did I hurt you?", he asked with concern, fishing for the problem so he could stomp it out and make her stop, "Are you still afraid of me? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not you.", she answered, sounding so heartbroken. Where was this coming from, he wondered to himself, trying to figure it out.

"It has to be me, there's no one else here." he pointed out.

Sniffing, she jerked her head up, trying to stop now, the tears all over her sad little face.

"Give me a minute.", she said bravely, clearing her throat again.

He rose up quickly and went to the corner of the room, coming back with a new hand towel. She looked back at him with guarded eyes, remembering when he stuffed that into her mouth.

"I'm not.", Edward began, "I just want to wipe your face off, okay?"

"Okay.", she whimpered like a small child, almost making Edward smile.

"Shhh.", Edward tried to calm her, kneeling on the floor and gently ridding her cheeks of the salty tears. He envied her the ability to cry like that. He hadn't cried since the day he lost his life. He doubted he was even able to cry.

"Just breathe slowly.", Edward made his voice extra soft now, his other hand still trailed along down the very long curls on her back.

"You're safe.", he soothed her more, "Nothing will hurt you here with me. I promise you'll be with your parents very soon. You will see home again. Please believe me."

"I do.", she breathed, calming down a bit more now, "I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?", Edward's eyes were filled with worry, bending to meet her eyes. In a moment or two, they touched his eyes, and she looked better.

"Yes I'm fine Edward.", she took a deep breath, looking at the TV screen, afraid to look too deeply into his eyes, "Sorry about that."

"What happened?", he asked, really wanting to know, his hand resting still on her hair now.

"I – can't tell you yet.", she winced a little, daring to look at him again, "I need a little more time, okay? But it's not you, I promise."

"You will tell me, though, right?", he wanted confirmation that he would get to find out this little secret. For some reason, he didn't want to dip into her thoughts without invitation.

"Yea." , she sounded sincere in her promise.

"It's me feeding you that did it, right?", he guessed aloud.

"That's part of it.", she sniffed, looking afraid to tell him more.

"I'm sorry.", he frowned, mad at himself, wishing he could tell her why he kept her bound this way, "I have a secret too, that I can't tell you that makes it necessary for me to keep you like this. I don't want to make you feel this way."

His voice was almost pleading for her understanding. But the eyes were what sold her on this. They were so sorrowful, so lonely and at times so wicked. He needed her help and she knew it.

"Have you ever read a poem called Letters to a Young Poet?", she asked, wanting to reach out to him.

He smiled wide, almost laughing. For a second she truly liked him.

"I've read everything.", he informed.

"Good, then," she smiled, "There's a part that goes:

Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses,

And are only wanting to be US,

Once beautiful and brave.

Perhaps everything terrible, is, in it's deepest being,

something helpless –

That wants help from us.

So you must not be frightened

If a sadness rises up before you,

Larger than any you've ever seen.

If a restiveness like light and cloud shadows

Passes over your hands

And over all you do.

You must think that something is happening with you,

And life has not forgotten you;

That it holds you in its hand.

It will not let you fall."

Edward knew the passages and almost recited them with her, but he didn't. He liked her voice speaking the words. A small smile rested on his mouth when she was done, looking at him as if she just gave him some medicine that would cure his aching soul.

"I like that.", he finally said softly, "I hadn't thought of those verses in years."

"Do you understand what it means?", she asked sweetly, prepared to explain it to him.

"Yes I understand.", Edward sounded a bit insulted that she thought him incapable of understanding the poem.

"I am a terrible sadness, I know that.", he admitted openly, glancing away from her and towards the TV screen, "But life has forgotten me, it has let me fall into a horrid hole, an eternal tomb. Not even _**you**_ can reach me, I'm afraid."

"Everyone can be reached.", she said firmly, believing it with all her heart.

"You don't know.", he stood up, taking the towel and throwing it towards the bar a little roughly.

"I do know, Edward.", she said after him, staring at his silhouette in the dim light, "You're so alone, I see that in your eyes. I can help you, if you let me. If you trust me."

"STOP!", he yelled, angrily, not wanting to hear her sweet voice anymore, it was making him hope a little, and he hated it. She thought he was a human, she had no idea he was a killer and a demon.

"There's no help you can give me.", he said curtly, "I'm a lost cause, don't try to save me."

Even now, during this conversation, he was counting the minutes until that dealer arrived, bringing his blood with him. He looked at her again, her face looked hurt at his shouting or his words, either way.

"You're duct taped and being fed against your will and you're trying to help **me**.", Edward said in a deep voice, touched by her kindness, but at the same time, hating it, "I need some air, I'll be back."

He hurried out, closing the door behind him too loudly.

He's a tough one, she thought, and part of her wanted to stay and have some time to work on him. He had the ability to be someone great and his beauty would just be a bonus to the girl who would win him someday.

But the way he is now, isn't right, she knew. The gift was gorgeously wrapped, with the finest velvet bow and sparkling paper. But inside the box was sorrow and pain and rage…and emptiness. She understood all those emotions so well but had learned to beat them down. If she could pass that onto someone else in her same kind of pain, maybe that would make the world a little better of a place for someone to live in. She could leave a mark somehow in this world, before it was too late. Time was running out for her. And her list of things she wanted to accomplish in her life still had many things left to be crossed off. Many important things.

On the other hand, she had to try and escape him. Even being here for a short time was too long for her. She had so little time to waste on this earth. She had to fight for the little bit of life she had left.

"Sorry Edward", she whispered, deciding to act.

Blinking a tear away, she listened and heard nothing. Summoning all her courage, she swung her legs over the sofa and stood on her feet, putting her bound hands on the coffee table to steady her as she got her balance. Being on the swim team, she knew how to balance on the diving platforms. Dad was right, she smiled, everything does have a reason.

She hopped carefully one hop at a time over towards the phone in the corner where Edward had been hanging out. She wished she knew where she was, the address. Maybe there was mail over here somewhere. She made it to the bar, steadying herself with her bound hands. The book he was writing in was here. Flipping through it as best she could with her tied hands, she squinted at the writing, noticing…

'I killed him, savagely, and I loved it.' The ink words clutched at her throat like fingers.

"Oh my god.", she shivered, more determined to get away now.

There was a couple drops of the tomato juice he was drinking earlier on the bar top. She gulped, looking at the closed door he'd gone out. Her finger touched the one drop of juice and, trembling, brought it up to her tongue.

Her eyes went wide in horror, knowing the salty thick taste. Blood.

"Shit.", she panicked and suddenly forgot all about the phone nearby. She picked up the ink pen and put the handle into her teeth, shoving the sharp metal writing tip into the duct tape around her wrists. It punctured the surface and she began to work the pen up and down until it did begin to cut slightly down the first layer or two.

"Come on, come on.", she prayed, her jaw and teeth starting to hurt a bit.

She knew now there was no going back. If he found her now, he'd certainly kill her, with pain probably. She felt sad for him at the same time. He really needed some help and she wished she could've been the one to give it to him.

The TV screen changed and shed lots of light out now, revealing the small sink behind the bar. The feeling of Edward's wet fingers easing the tape off her lips flashed to mind. She moved herself over to it, peeking at the door again. Nothing. Turning the faucet, she felt hot water and it pleased her sore numb hands. She worked her wrists back and forth under the water until they softened and she bit the goopy tape, pulling it off at last. She let her butt fall to the floor, using her tingling hands to slide the socks off, the tape removing with them.

She was free! Still in a daze from the rush of excitement, she forgot about the phone and rushed towards the door Edward had used to get out.

"God, be with me now.", she whispered, closing her eyes and daring herself to slowly open the door.

She had it open a slit and didn't see anything but blackness. Daring to open it more, she was thankful it didn't squeak or creak. This room had no hint of any kind of light at all. Shivering, she reached her hands out, blind, feeling around as she took little baby steps.

Still no sounds around her, only the TV going in the other room she'd just been in. Something was telling her to get down and hide, that Edward might be back any second and would easily see her here.

Good idea, she thanked the angel who'd given her that suggestion and dropped on all fours, crawling silently, feeling her way on the cold cement floor.

She felt something hard and smooth, metal. Smelling wax and rubber, she realized this was his car. Maybe she could get in it and drive off, she thought to herself, then sighed. She had no driver's license or even a permit. And she didn't know how to drive, even if she had the keys. Crap.

Maneuvering around the car with her hands, she kept going, always listening for footsteps or his voice, even his breath, but all was dead silent.

Something horrible in her head kept telling her she was going to be caught any moment now, and images ripped through her brain. Edward slamming her body up onto the car trunk, choking her with his bare hands, raping her, tearing her clothes off, stabbing her over and over again, cutting her throat with one quick slice, shooting her in the head from behind her. All these were possibilities but she kept moving, growling to Satan to leave her alone with these pictures.

"Please,", she breathed, hardly making a sound. It seemed like she'd crawled for miles and still she could find nothing, and still blind in the blackness.

As if someone heard her prayer, white light rose up from the left suddenly, going in a circle around the room. A car's engine was pulling up, the headlights blazing, showing her the interior of the garage. Edward's car was black and shiny at her side.

"Finally.", Edward's voice was in the distance, sounding pleased and joking.

She crawled faster towards another little door where the voices were coming from, listening but not seeing them yet.

"I'm not late.", the other voice laughed, "Jesus, addict much?"

"Shut the fuck up and give it to me already.", Edward's voice still sounded as if he were talking to a friend.

Drugs, she figured that part out. God, Edward, you are in big trouble, she thought, feeling an overwhelming pity for him.

She knew after they were done, soon, he'd be coming back in through this door.

She had to move very soon if she wanted a chance.

Slowly, she turned the doorknob above her. No sound. Good. She opened it so slowly it took an eternity to even peek outside to see Edward and the other voice outside.

"Thanks.", one of their voices said, she couldn't tell which.

"Thank YOU.", Edward's voice replied as she trembled, seeing them now.

Edward was smiling, looking at the man across from him. It was dark outside so she couldn't make out many details of the other man's face or dress, but the rest was crystal clear. And it happened in two seconds, so fast.

With the speed of light, Edward's silhouette spun around behind the man, gripping his face and holding it back and off to the left, then he bit into his neck, swallowing hard, holding the limp struggling man up on his feet.

See next chapter

Let me know if you're liking it !

WinndSinger


	9. Chapter 9

With the speed of light, Edward's silhouette spun around behind the man, gripping his face and holding it back and off to the left, then he bit into his neck, swallowing hard, holding the limp struggling man up on his feet.

The man didn't scream or fight much, just groaned and twitched a bit as Edward's mouth widely covered the hole he'd made with his normal looking teeth. She saw no gushing blood, but it was obvious that all the blood was running down Edward's throat, he was not losing a single drop of it.

And Edward's voice sounded like a purring cougar, the sound of him swallowing liquid made her blood curdle. She couldn't move or even look away, as if being held there in shock by his evil spell.

In minutes, the man Edward was killing stilled, not even breathing anymore. Grumbling a little wordless complaint, Edward jerked the body violently, getting a little more drink, then sounded so satisfied, like she would sound if she were drinking hot cocoa after being out in the snow all day.

Samantha held her stomach with her hand, afraid she'd vomit right there. She was going to die anyway, she told herself, 'You were going to be his next meal.' He had been feeding her, fattening her up. No, she pushed that thought away, she didn't really believe that. All she knew was she had to get out of here, right this very second.

She threw open the door explosively and ran her ass off, past Edward and the dead man. Her days in track kicked in, ignoring the pain as she ran into the woods, her bare feet hitting rocks and sticks as she sprinted into the thickness of the forest before her. If she could make it there, she might be able to hide.

"Samantha!", she heard his voice scream far off behind her but she didn't even think of slowing.

She stared at the full white moon above, it gave her strength. The wind on her face and in her lungs was cleansing. She was nearly there where she would be buried in the trees, invisible as the air.

"UGH!", she slammed into something, dazed. Everything spun upside down at once as she tried to see what she'd hit. The field was clear seconds before.

"You just refuse to LISTEN, don't you?!", his voice shouted closely, shaking with rage. She realized now she was over his shoulder, hanging there upside down as he held her legs against his chest. They moved so fast that the forest and moon blurred away like dust in the wind, and a door slammed behind them, back in the garage in seconds.

"I tell you to STAY.", he raged on, "but you DON'T!"

SLAM – another door shut. Now they were back in the basement again, the TV still playing to no one.

This was it, he was going to kill her now and drink her blood. She began to mutter her prayer again out loud as he tossed her onto the leather sofa again, her back aching as she landed there.

"I TOLD YOU I WAS A MONSTER, I TOLD YOU TO STAY HERE!", he was screaming in her face now, his eyes on fire, bright red in the blackness. She was crying in terror, trapped there as he grabbed her wrists, shaking her roughly, "WHY DID YOU FOLLOW ME?! WHY?!"

"I don't know.", she cried, seeing the full fury of him now. She felt like a kitten fighting against a howling grizzly bear.

"I could KILL you, don't you GET IT ?!", he screamed, grabbing her hair, "Is that what you WANT?!"

"I'm SORRY!", she screamed back, "I'm sorry ! I'm sorry!"

"I've had it with you!", he raged on, sounding upset now, going into his jacket pocket and taking out a little plastic bag, removing a white pill from it. Time to go to sleep for a couple days Samantha, he growled to himself. At least this way, he wouldn't be tempted to drink her blood.

"Open your mouth!" he moved his legs around until he was sitting on her chest, pinning her arms at her sides, under him.

"NO!", she screamed, not sure what the pill was, she shook her head in resistance, kicking her legs under his too strong body.

"I said OPEN.", he shouted, grabbing her throat and giving it a gentle squeeze so she'd open her mouth. When she needed air, she'd have no choice.

"Edward !", she choked for air, begging, "Listen, I can't !"

"I _**am**_ going to hurt you.", he decided, looking completely evil to her eyes now, "Open your mouth."

He tried to force the pill inside her clenched mouth. If he tried any harder, he'd certainly break her jawbone and some of her teeth. He was out of control and something inside him knew it. The boy Edward used to be from 1918 was in the distance, shouting against the howling wind at the monster to stop it. The demon sat on top of his female prey, turning towards the weak little man and sneering.

He let her throat go and lifted his hand up, about to backhand her across the face but she screamed and turned her head away, readying herself for the blow. It would've killed her instantly if he let go now and slapped her.

"EDWARD MASEN JR!" a male voice from long ago shouted, "Don't you DARE strike a female, boy! I'll tar and feather you MYSELF!"

Everything in him froze, his hand still in midair, stopped. It was his father's voice, his real father, Edward Masen, Sr.

She was gasping over and over again, staring up into his face. Total fear was in her wild expression. The transformation is complete, he said to himself, you are truly a monster now, all of you.

He leapt off of her body instantly, moving as far away as he could without leaving the room. In the corner, almost cowering, he sank along the wall, sitting on the floor, shaking, grabbing his hair in his fists.

She thought she heard him crying in the dark as she slowly sat up a bit, not daring to leave the couch right now.

Neither said anything for a long time. It was she who broke the silence.

"I have cancer.", she said simply, looking at the dark figure in the corner, "I can't take any kind of pills. It could do me major harm."

His face rose up from his hands slowly, silently.

"I just figured to tell you, since, now, I know – your secret.", she tried to sound brave, "It's only fair you know mine now."

She heard him try to choke back a sob. He couldn't say anything, just shivered, so ashamed of himself.

"What am I? ", he trembled in his voice as he spoke, to himself, "Why didn't he just let me die? I should've died…"

She thought of trying to run again but she told herself no. Amazingly enough, she overlooked the fear she was feeling and found herself crawling off the sofa and onto the floor, trying to make eye contact with him in the darkness, still not getting that much closer.

"It's alright Edward.", she spoke like an angel, "You're not alone. I can reach you, if you let me."

"How?", his voice broke as he looked at her with his wet red eyes, "I am this…fucking THING. You can't change that. Everything good I ever was is – dead, like ME."

"No.", she felt tears in her own eyes now, feeling his pain, "If that was true, you wouldn't have stopped, you wouldn't be crying now."

"I'm not crying.", he sniffed stubbornly, his fingers clutching his hair again.

"Okay.", she let him be a man and deny that one. The male ego is in there, so he can't be totally inhuman.

"I'll take you home in a minute.", he said.

"What about those other girls?", Sammi asked, frowning, "You said that-"

"I can't save anyone anymore!", he shouted in agony, "I'm a piece of shit, I shouldn't even be around people at all, let alone act like some Superman ! I'm bullshit!"

"That's not true!", she made her voice rise up, louder, "You did save me from those men! You have to do the same for those other girls, too! No cops are going to do it and you know it!"

"Too bad for them.", Edward snapped back.

"If that's what you really feel, then you're right, you are a piece of shit!", she found herself getting angry at him now, "If you can help and don't and they die or get raped, then you ARE REALLY A MONSTER! And nothing will change that ! Or you can stop crying, get up, and act like someone who cares! REAL HEROES do that everyday. It's hard as hell, but they DO IT! And they don't give up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, you're not the only person hurting in this world."

Edward's gears suddenly switched and his eyes went from angered monster to concerned man. She said she has cancer, he realized.

"Samantha.", he swallowed, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine.", she smiled a bit, tilting her head, glad to see the nice Edward was back.

"I'm going to need a new pair of shorts, but I'm fine.", she joked.

He let out a laugh and she joined him in it.

"Do you need anything?", he slowly got to his feet, slowly coming over to her, helping her up gently.

"This is why I don't tell people I have cancer.", she looked at him as she stood in front of him, "Please don't treat me like I'm made of glass."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.", he began, "It's just, to me, every human is made of glass."

"Oh.", she answered, not sure what to say.

"Why don't you sit down and finish your dinner?", he tried to return things to normal now, as impossible as that seemed, "You have full use of your hands from now on cause I can see me tying you up is not going to stop you from doing as you please."

"Are you…", she gulped, "Going back to finish – your dinner?"

His eyes looked darkly back at her. He wasn't used to having a human know his secret.

"No.", he said awkwardly, "I -- finished. I'm just going to – tidy up the yard."

"Who was that man?", she had to ask.

"A drug dealer.", Edward informed, still sounding ashamed, "He deals to kids in schools. He was a bad one."

As if he wasn't a bad one himself, Sammi thought to herself. And Edward heard this thought in his mind. And that hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

"I have to.", Edward defended himself weakly, "I live on blood. I choose to drink on those that are not innocent."

"None of us are innocent, though, Edward.", she said softly, "That's only an excuse to ease your guilt. Every life is precious. Don't you see that ?"

He bit his teeth down and gritted, "I have to go, stay here."

He left and slammed the door again, the walls giving a jump.

Hit a nerve, I guess, she sighed, looking around her. She wasn't thinking of running anymore. She had work to do here. Like it or not, she cared about Edward now. She couldn't turn away from him in his time of greatest need. He needed a friend.

This was a turning point in his life, and she knew it. From here, he could turn into a real evil vampire, killing anyone for any reason, anywhere…or he could be better and find peace. If she could help him, even a little to go in that direction, it was another way to do something good while she was still here.

Strangely enough, she sat down and finished her food, glad to have her hands back. Remembering that feeling of helplessness as Edward fed her, she felt a small tingle of excitement. Was that arousal ? She smiled to herself, surprised.

He had gotten the drink wrong, she smirked as she drank thru the straw, her favorite was lemonade, but she liked soda, too.

It seemed like a long time until he came back. The door slowly opened and he peeked his head in.

"Can I come in?", he asked softly, almost afraid to ask.

"It's your basement, Edward.", she gave him a strange look.

"Yes?"

"Yes, come in.", she sipped the straw.

"Yard all tidy?", she asked, trying not to think about the job he'd just had to do. She used to work with teenagers who battled addiction. Maybe she could make herself handle this, too.

"Yes.", he replied, closing the door behind him as he came inside, walking over to the bar area again, afraid to come near her now.

"Good.", she stared at him, watching him closely.

"I want to apologize for my behavior.", he said sorrowfully but gentlemanly, "I have no excuse for treating you that way. It won't happen again."

"God you sound so stiff.", she smiled a bit, being honest, "It sounds like you're reading a letter."

"What?", he sounded taken aback by her comment.

"Come here.", she patted the sofa next to her, "I'm giving you a lesson."

Not knowing why, he found his legs slowly walking over to the sofa, standing there.

"Sit down next to me Edward.", she took his hand and pulled him down beside her.

"Okay.", Sammi took a breath, "Apologizing to someone is a little tough because they're upset with you and you have to get back on their good side. You've hurt them or wronged them and now it's time to make amends. It's scary because some people won't forgive you, some will. But the secret is, a true friend WANTS to forgive you. However, you have to do the apology right."

"I see.", Edward smiled a little at her, watching her jabber away. She seemed much more relaxed and herself now that she wasn't tied up and under his complete control. He decided he liked her personality. She was very like Alice in a way. And it had been ten years since he'd actually talked to anyone.

"Now, because I'm a girl, it won't be hard for you to get forgiveness.", she pointed out, "You have your looks on your side and that voice."

Edward laughed a little, not believing this girl, she said whatever came to mind.

"You don't have to make a big speech like you just did.", Sammi grinned, watch me, I'll be you, okay ?"

"Okay."

She took Edward's cold hand into her little one, gave it a stroke and looked into Edward's deep eyes as they stared back at hers.

"I am so sorry Samantha.", she said in her own voice, pretending to be Edward, "Please forgive me."

"Now you.", she gave him back his hand and waited.

It seemed easy enough. He took her tiny hand into his white one, made a little circle there and looked down into her waiting face. She was to tiny next to him.

"I am so sorry Samantha.", his voice was softer than wind, "Please…forgive me?"

"Wow.", she blinked her eyes a couple times, laughing with him.

"You're good.", Samantha graded his apology, "A plus ! A girl would melt from that apology. Good job!"

"So," Edward kept looking at her, "Am I forgiven?"

"Maybe.", she teased, getting a laugh from him.

"Brat.", he commented, letting her hand go.

"I ate it all.", she announced, changing the subject quickly, both her fingers pointing at the table near the sofa.

"Oh good.", he stood up, going to collect the trash from the table, "I can't believe you could EAT after what you saw me do."

"Oh yea.", she understood that, "Well I've been in hospitals so much since I was 2 that blood and urine and sickness is not that repulsive to me."

"It's been that long since you first got sick?", he asked, really caring, looking at her as she spoke.

"Yes," she sighed, "I can't remember NOT being sick at some point in my life. I have periods like now when I'm in remission and those are great. I really get to live to the fullest until I start to feel sick again."

"I feel sick all the time, too.", Edward wanted her to know he understood her feelings.

"How did you die?", she asked abruptly, making Edward look up at her, shocked.

"I'm sorry.", she looked down, "That wasn't right for me to ask. I just have this curiosity about death. I have done so much research on it, to prepare myself for it. I want to die well, you know? No blubbering or begging."

"Wow.", Edward stared at her with admiration, then snapped out of it, putting the food cartons in the big brown bag, "Umm, I think I died well. No begging or blubbering, but lots of coughing."

"Oh no.", she winced, "What did you have?"

It felt so great to just answer her questions like this, without fear or shame. He liked this so far. He liked Samantha, he decided.

"Spanish influenza.", he informed, not looking up as he cleaned up the bar area.

"That's a long time ago, then.", she said right away, very bright, he observed.

"1918, August." , he said quietly.

"Did it hurt a lot?", she asked, now a well of questions. It was impossible to interview the dead and get real information, until now.

"Yea." , he said truthfully, "My lungs were killing me, and you feel that in your back. I couldn't eat so I was starving and couldn't sleep so I was exhausted. Then I started coughing up blood and that lasted for two days. That was the end."

"God that's so awful.", she felt such pity in her heart for him, "No painkillers or anything?"

"No.", Edward answered, "So many people were infected, there wasn't enough medicine for everyone. I let my mother have my share."

"Oh Edward.", she felt her eyes become wet with tears.

"That wasn't the worst part.", Edward shared, closing his journal book and putting it away on a shelf.

"What was the worst part?", she frowned, wondering what could be worse.

"I died alone.", Edward said simply, wiping the blood from the bar counter with a wet rag.

"What about your family?", she asked, "Where were they?"

"Dead already.", he said, trying to hide the pain behind his eyes, "They caught it from me and died before I did. I was younger and stronger so I held on a day longer than they."

"Heartbreak first, death second.", she said with a shaky voice.

He did not say anything to this. Maybe he couldn't.

"I can't imagine facing death with a broken heart like that.", she said.

"Well, I guess I wasn't completely alone.", Edward breathed, raising a brow, "Carlisle was with me."

"Who's Carlisle?", she asked, "Your brother?"

"No, he was the doctor at the hospital.", Edward informed, "And also, the vampire who bit me and made me what I am today."

"A vampire doctor?", she asked, getting a nod from Edward, "Creepy."

"Not really.", Edward said, having to defend him somewhat, "He's a good man, for a vampire. He means well. He overcame his addiction to the blood and learned to save people instead of drinking them. He wanted me to be his son, like, he was adopting me in a way. He was a good teacher and he cared about me."

And I let him down, Edward wanted to add, but didn't.

"What happened to him?"

"He lives in New York now.", Edward said, "With the rest of the family."

"You have more family?", she brightened at this, maybe he did have some hope to be okay after all. It sounded like his father had this thirst thing under control, and he could teach Edward to be like him.

"No I don't.", he answered bitterly, "They're not my family, not really."

"I'm missing something." Sammi said, confused.

"They don't drink human blood.", Edward didn't know why he was explaining this, "They live under a rule, no human blood, only animals."

"That's nice.", she heard herself say, unsure.

"I guess.", Edward replied, looking insulted now, putting the cap on his ink bottle.

"Oh you don't like animals?", she guessed.

"They're okay.", he shrugged, looking away. She can't understand, he told himself, he was addicted to human blood now, like it was a drug. He didn't WANT to give it up.

"Okay, if I'm pissing you off, just say RED and I'll stop." Sammi said, "If you want me to slow down, say YELLOW."

He smiled, not wanting to. He did like her.

"Let's talk about you now.", Edward turned the tables, "Let me ask you some ."

see next chapter

WinndSinger


	10. Chapter 10

"Let's talk about you now.", Edward turned the tables, "Let me ask you some ."

"Okay.", she agreed, sitting back on the sofa, "I have nothing to hide."

"We'll see about that.", he joked playfully, starting to ask, "What does—"

But she cut him off and said, "Come sit with me, Edward, don't question me from across the dark room, come talk to me like a person."

Silently, he came over, sitting on the other side of the sofa, asking with his eyes if that was acceptable.

"Okay, go ahead.", she sat back.

"Do you feel alright now?", he asked first, "Are you in any pain or—"

"No Edward.", she frowned a bit, "I feel perfectly fine. Don't keep asking me if I'm all right. I hate that."

"Alright, I'm sorry.", he looked down at his hands, obviously he was no good at this game.

"Just talk to me, like a friend.", she said, "You have friends, right ?"

"No.", he replied, looking lost.

"Me either.", she blushed a bit, embarrassed, "Unless you count nurses and other co-patients that shared a hospital room with me from time to time."

"We're a fun pair.", Edward concluded, both laughing a little.

"Well you have a friend now.", she smiled, daring to put her warm hand on his.

He smiled at her weakly, not knowing if this was a good idea. He wanted to tell her yes, I'm your friend, too. But the demon inside him scared Edward. He didn't want this girl to feel so safe around him that she'd forget about his evil side. She could still get hurt…or worse.

"I will be your friend, Edward.", she said clearer now, "If you want me."

"I would like that.", he said, unsure of himself. Why would she want to be MY friend? What is wrong with her?

"Okay then.", she took a small breath of relief, "You can ask me some questions if you have any. Let's learn about each other. And Edward, whatever you tell me, don't be afraid of what I'll do or say. You can tell me anything, really. You can trust me. And I will trust you. Okay?"

A big smile spread across his face then. And it was like sunlight filled the dark room.

"God, you have a nice smile Edward.", she grinned back, amazed, "You should take it out more often."

"Thanks.", he said, then added, "I like your smile, too."

Hours later, they were still talking. Edward sat on the couch still, but now her sore little feet her in his cold hands as he massaged them while speaking.

"And Alice was the closest to me.", he finished talking about his family after a good hour, "She was the best sister ever."

"My brother's name is Felix.", Samantha made a face, "I hate him."

Laughing out loud, Edward looked at her feet as he gently moved down the bottoms of them with his fingers. She seemed to be comforted by this.

"I don't really hate him, I guess.", she corrected, "He's only 12, but he's a pain. Typical little brother. Felix the cat, I call him."

"I know what you mean.", Edward smiled, "Emmett, who I told you about before, he and I always drove each other nuts, playing jokes on each other all the time. I used to hate that then but now I really miss it sometimes."

"You call them, don't you?", she asked, seeing how much he missed them all. He was so lit up inside as he spoke about them . Surely they would be better aware of how to help him than she was. She knew nothing about vampirism.

"No.", he said quietly.

"Ever?", she asked.

"Not for the last 10 years, since I left.", he looked at the TV screen. Some commercial for gum was playing.

"You should keep in touch with them.", she looked at his sad eyes again, "They obviously love you and you love them."

"I'm not capable of love.", Edward said, truly believing it.

"Who told you that?"

"I made my own conclusions.", Edward said a little coldly.

"You're gonna tell me you're not capable of love while you're rubbing my feet?", she smirked.

"If it bothers you, I'll stop.", he pouted, letting go of them as they thudded on the leather sofa.

"HEY" Sammi scolded, "Go back to my feet and stop being a baby."

Brave, this one. Wasn't she aware she was speaking to a vampire who regularly feasted on human blood? Slowly, he softened and picked up one of her feet, massaging down the little toes that looked bruised from her run in the woods earlier. He felt responsible for this and actually enjoyed making her feel this pleasure. He could read all the pain her poor body had gone through in the past and it almost made him feel crippled. But yet her heart was light and happy. He wanted to know her secret.

"Let me go back to your I'm not capable of love comment.", she sounded like a therapist counseling him.

"It's no big deal.", Edward shrugged, "I have waited for love for over 90 years now, it's not coming and I know that. I've accepted it. I am damaged inside or something and my heart doesn't work. My hair doesn't grow, my body doesn't change. I can't breathe, unless I want to. I am dead inside and that's just a fact I have to live with. That's why I just stay away from people if I can."

"You're here with me now.", she said. He's so hard on himself, she observed.

"That's different.", he looked at her, "I wasn't planning on this, I was going to get you and give you to Detective Langston…period. I don't have 5 day sleepovers with girls everyday you know. This is a first."

"And you tied me up so I wouldn't run away?"

"That was part of it.", Edward looked ashamed again, taking her other foot in his hands, "The bigger part is, I don't trust myself with you. When you first came here, I was so hungry, almost starved. I had to stay far from you to keep myself from wanting your blood."

"You seem okay now.", she noticed aloud.

"I just fed Samantha.", Edward reminded, "And why aren't you afraid of me now?" he added.

"Hmm.", she wasn't sure, thinking about it, "I saw you drinking that man's blood and I was so scared! I felt sick inside. But then, something else happened. I felt like a blanket over me, telling me it was alright and that you needed me. You are in so much pain. I know what that's like. I want to help you Edward."

"Help me with what?", he asked, "You want to be bait for me?"

"No.", she said serious now, "I think you're very lost, like a bird that has fallen out of its nest. I don't mean to sound condescending, but, I want to get to know you and I want to help you find your way."

"You make me sound very nice but I'm no bird who needs saving. I'm a mistake of nature, I am a creature of hell, you of all people should know that. You have no idea what you're playing with here.", he tried to frighten her away again.

"There is no hell Edward.", she said matter-of-factly, getting a loud wicked belly laugh from the vampire next to her.

"Something funny now?", she waited for him to finish.

"There is no hell.", he repeated, unable to stop laughing.

"You make your own hell.", she frowned, "You have locked yourself in this prison and tossed the key away. You're not even trying to make yourself happy in your life. You don't have God, you don't have family, you don't have love. I feel sorry for you, Edward. You have everything…and nothing. You are on the brink of breaking your rule and killing innocent people. I'm afraid for you – you're hanging by a thread and you're about to fall. When you can live forever, you have to have something to live FOR. (Sorry I know I stole that from the trailer- he he he!) Otherwise, what's the point of it all?"

Edward wasn't laughing anymore. He let his head fall back and rest on the sofa and he stared at her, looking hopeless. He knew she was right but also knew he was not going to be saved. Not by her…or anyone. He would be evil-very soon. He wanted to kill innocents, he longed for pure blood. His soul was dying, just as her body was. They were both doomed, and that's probably why they were so attracted to each other. Misery loves company.

"I don't live, Samantha.", he said sadly, "I exist. I drink wine but cannot taste it. I see beauty but cannot feel it. And I haven't felt love since 1918. It's the cruelest curse – being me."

"You have wings, Edward.", she leaned in, touching his cheek, leaving a warm spot there as she spoke, "But they're broken. Let me teach you how to fly again. Let me stay for a few days. Don't take me home yet. Please?"

"I have to.", Edward answered sadly, "I like you now and I don't want to live with the guilt of killing you."

"You still want to kill me?", she asked, still not afraid somehow.

"You're human, Samantha. And so good.", he said tenderly, "Of course I do. That's my nature. Just like when you want to eat Chinese food."

"Well you just have to will yourself not to do it.", Samantha stated officially, as if it were that easy.

"My will is not strong right now.", he admitted.

"I promise to do what you ask so as not to tempt you so much. How's that?" she vowed.

"You won't run away?", he asked, considering it, "You won't make me angry more than usual?"

"I will be a good little girl.", she put her hand up, swearing.

"It might work then.", he was thinking, "A human friend."

"What about me?", Sammi pointed out, "I have a vampire friend. My Dad would freak!"

"Speaking of that," Edward recalled, "I had Detective Langston contact your parents. Everything has been explained to them. They think you're in a safe house, under police protection. They're alright."

"Thanks Edward.", she gave a little smile, "Did they say anything else?"

"They said to tell you they love you.", he said, envying her.

"They're very cool.", she informed Edward, looking into his eyes, "I'm lucky to have them. They are my guiding stars."

"Will you tell me now?", Edward asked gently.

"What?"

"Why you cried earlier when I was feeding you?" Edward began to place a new clean sock on her right foot.

"Oh.", she remembered, feeling foolish now.

"Come on, you promised.", he urged.

"Well I don't want to bring you down.", she said.

Edward looked at her darkly. "I'm about as down as I'm going to get, my dear."

"Alright.", she breathed and made herself say it, "In the next few months, I will start to lose feeling of my body the doctors say."

Edward froze, looking at her with the other sock in his hands.

Clearing her throat, she looked at the TV screen instead of at his perfect face, continuing, "My legs will go first probably, goodbye running and swimming and twirling. Then my arms, so long dancing and hugging. When you were feeding me, it made me see how utterly helpless and stagnant I will be someday soon. Someone will have to change my diapers at least three times a day…RED." She used the code word, not able to go on.

See next chapter

WinndSinger


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Clearing her throat, she looked at the TV screen instead of at his perfect face, continuing, "My legs will go first probably, goodbye running and swimming and twirling. Then my arms, so long dancing and hugging. When you were feeding me, it made me see how utterly helpless and stagnant I will be someday soon. Someone will have to change my diapers at least three times a day…RED."

She stopped herself in mid sentence, not able to go on.

"I'm sorry.", he didn't know what else to say. But she was so strong that she quickly put it out of her mind.

"I'm not really afraid to die.", she wiped a little tear away, "But I'm terrified of not being – alive. Do you know what I mean?"

"Definitely.", he said, knowing all too well.

Hours had gone by and it would be dawn soon. They had spoken so long that it finally exhausted little Sammi and she fell asleep with her head on his lap.

Not a great idea, he thought right away, but he didn't have the heart to wake her. She was so peaceful and trusting. No one had trusted him like this for such a long time. He stood on guard over her in his mind with a giant sword, ready to destroy that demon if he tried to even THINK of coming near her again.

Edward wanted to touch her shiny ebony hair very badly but he resisted it.

She was dreaming, he could tell, looking down upon her, his new little friend…his only friend.

"I don't know if you can hear me Samantha.", he spoke low and soft as she slumbered, "But I want you to know I'm glad I met you. You're very brave, wanting to be my friend. I will try very hard to be worthy of your friendship. I can't love you but this feeling is the nicest thing I've felt for almost 100 years. Thank you Samantha – Sammi."

He closed his eyes, not able to sleep but enjoying the darkness, feeling her warm breath on his leg, the occasional movement of her head on his thigh. He didn't want her to go. He liked talking to her and liked the way she had yelled at him, telling him off. Nothing would happen to her, he told himself, swearing it. He would not let cancer destroy this girl slowly, as he was destroyed. He would change her if it came to that, he decided. But he intended to keep this friend for as long as he could.

"No Edward.", she mumbled in her sleep, making his eyes open.

"Don't fall in love with me.", she writhed a little, clearly distressed.

"No, don't.", she whimpered, then quieted as his cool fingers brushed her hair a bit, moving it away from her closed eyes. It felt like silk ribbons.

He grinned down at her, muttering "teenagers".

She rolled over and heard something strange. Opening her eyes, she saw daylight in the room she was in now. Not sunlight, but gray rainy light from the windows of the basement.

Focusing her eyes, she looked for him. He was gone. He had told her about the myth of daytime hurting him, so she knew he should be around somewhere.

"Edward?" she asked without shouting.

The TV was off now but she didn't care. She never wasted her limited time on television anyway. There were too many other great things to do instead with the small time she had left. The only purpose it served last night was as a night light. She got up carefully, seeing the basement was all super clean again. He's a bit of a neat freak, she thought, seeing a little bathroom door she didn't notice last night.

She took her bathroom break and came out after washing her hands.

"Edward?", she called again.

"Good Morning.", his voice was behind her suddenly, making her jump with a squeal.

"GOD", she scolded.

"Guess again.", he joked.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack! Don't sneak up on people, it's not funny.", she warned.

"Sorry.", his eyes widened a bit, like he thought she was over reacting.

"I got some Dunkin' Donuts for you for breakfast.", he announced, producing a plate full of different donuts, all ones she liked.

"I hope you don't mind, I was looking over your brain last night while you slept and saw you have a thing for sugary dough.", he almost glowed with cuteness.

"Cool.", she smiled, "That mind tapping thing is a nice gift, Edward. Your wife will be able to say her husband knows exactly what she's thinking at all times. That could be a good thing – or a bad one, depending how you look at it."

"I'm not going to have a wife.", he tried to keep himself cheerful, sitting down on the sofa as she sat beside him, taking a boston crème off the top.

"Maybe if there's time I can teach you to make eggs or something.", Sammi said, eating a bite of her donut, "Women love it when their guy knows how to make them a nice little omelet in the morning."

Changing the subject, Edward said, "After you eat, I thought it would be nice to take a walk in the forest for awhile. It's a nice day, kind of warm."

"I would love that.", she agreed, seeing there was a glass of milk on the table before her, "I love to go hiking in the forest. I need to be outside everyday, for at least a little while."

"Me too.", he said, liking to watch her eat.

"Don't stare at me while I'm eating.", she snickered, seeing him watch her every move with those strange hypnotic red eyes. They were so unusually beautiful she had to tear her eyes away.

"You watched me.", he argued back.

"And it was thrilling.", she said in sarcasm.

_**You'll notice my donut isn't begging for it's life**_, she thought to herself.

Edward's smiling face turned to stone.

"What?", she asked, mouthful of donut muffling her word.

"I heard that.", he informed, "What you thought just now."

She looked ahead of her at the wall, frowning, wishing she could keep him out of her head. She wasn't trying to hurt him, her thoughts were just there, what could she do to stop them?

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, Edward.", she said calmly, "I really don't. But you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that –" she trailed off, not wanting to finish.

"What fact?" he looked stern now, waiting to hear the words.

"You do…kill.", she forced herself to say it. Now it was out.

"Scumbags.", he finished the sentence, sounding hurt.

"It's not for you to judge who's good and who's not.", she said, trying to sound like a friend and not a psychiatrist, "That's God's job, not yours."

"I've told you, there is no God.", Edward sounded as if he wanted her to believe this for her own good, "I am evil incarnate and I have millions of years to live, you are young and sweet and have never hurt anyone and you have less than ONE year left, tell me what God would do that to someone like YOU."

She felt a little bitten by his words but kept herself composed.

Instantly, he looked so regretful that he'd said what he did. It wasn't her fault. She was like a mirror showing him his reflection and he didn't like what he was seeing.

"You are as tempting as Hell itself Edward.", she said, looking at his red eyes, so attracted to them, "But even those magical eyes won't make me turn away from God. I'm sorry. I am drawn to you but we're going to have to agree to disagree on this matter."

"You are so strong. How do you do that?", he smiled, liking her more every minute, then said, "I get drawn to something and I just follow. I'm the weak one here. You being drawn to me is just part of the evil I carry in me. It pulls humans towards us, to make it easier to prey on you. It's nothing to do with ME. It's the way this sick body of mine was made."

"God made you, too, Edward.", she took a sip of her milk, "And looking over you now, I'm convinced of what I've thought all along. God is a very artistic and talented woman. Who else could've made you so pretty?"

Later, outside, in the forest, she seemed to come alive even more.

She kept twirling around in circles as the wind blew, cheering like a little girl. He gave her his long black leather coat and she was playing with it like it was a cape. Edward watched, wishing he could feel such joy at simple things.

"When I go, I want to be the dancing wind.", she said to him as he smiled back at her, his hands in his own jacket pockets.

"See, when the wind blows in a circle, twirling, and all the leaves swirl around in it? That will be me someday.", she looked pleased about this.

"You sound like you're looking forward to this." Edward tried to make his voice sound light, like hers.

"Hey, it's going to be great.", she defended herself, "I won't have one more pain ever again. I'll never be sad or lonely or have to go to a hospital again! I'll be able to jump and dance and fly!"

Edward didn't answer, but his eyes almost made her cry with their anguish.

"Oh don't look like that.", she smiled wider at her new friend, "Smile Edward. Come twirl with me."

"No thanks.", he still looked a bit morose, the wind blowing his hair gracefully around his cheekbones.

"You have to live for today, Edward.", she told him, "You may never get another chance to twirl with me again."

"You want to fly?", he asked, looking up to the clouds overhead. He was thinking of throwing her up into the air and catching her, but decided not to. She could get hurt.

"YES", she gushed, "Don't you want to? Or CAN you?"

"No", he said quietly, "I can't fly. Sorry."

"Damn, I was hoping for a Superman, Lois Lane moment." She chuckled, twirling some more, "Oh well, I can wait a little while longer. Soon."

His heart was breaking for her. She was firmly planted in the myth of heaven and God, dreaming of her adventures in paradise when there was no such place waiting for her. He felt angry at God for not really existing, for the pain this glowing creature would feel when her eyes closed and she would sleep forever, buried in a box in the ground and nothing more. It wasn't fair. She was just a baby.

He didn't want to start another fight but he wanted her to listen to him, to consider letting him change her before that betrayal happened. Then it would be too late for him to save her. For a split second, he saw things from Carlisle's point of view and felt so badly for blaming it all on him.

"You really think there's something more, after death?", he asked softly.

"You tell me Edward.", she teased, "Is there?"

"I didn't meet God, if that's what you're asking.", he looked annoyed again.

"You might have.", she started walking at his side, "If Carlisle would have let you."

"He calls it saving me.", Edward sounded cheated and she didn't blame him.

"I'm sure he thought he was.", she sounded so understanding of Carlisle when she didn't even know him.

"Hey!", she changed gears again, looking at him, "I had a great idea!"

Uh oh, Edward thought.

"You could call those guys from last night that grabbed me, and tell them you found out I have cancer and you don't appreciate paying seven thousand dollars for a broken girl. You want to return me for the other two girls they have."

She was brilliant, Edward thought, crazed, but brilliant nonetheless.

"No way." Edward refused, "They'd want me to bring you back to them.

I won't do that."

"You can handle it.", she said, putting such confidence in him after one decent night of conversation.

"No Samantha.", he said flatly again, leaping up a small hill in one bound.

"Those girls shouldn't be made to wait four more days, Edward.", Sammi said, "Remember what they were doing to me when you came to my house?"

"All the more reason for you not to ever be near them again.", Edward frowned at her, not wanting to discuss this anymore.

"But they—"

He cut her off fast. "If they get you back and can't sell you to anyone because they know you're sick, they will rape you in so many horrible ways you won't remember your own name! They'll video tape you, sell those movies for some kind of profit, then they'd kill you when they found no more use for you. You'll really want to die then."

"You can protect me.", she reminded.

"You realize I'm not after these men to send them to jail, right?", Edward asked.

"No Edward, you can't kill them.", she demanded.

"I can't?"

"They should be stopped, but jail is the answer for them. They can get help there, maybe do some good someday for other prisoners. They are as sick as we are Edward, poisoned like us."

"Don't include me in with those sadists!", Edward shouted, highly insulted now, "Or yourself either for that matter! They deserve to die! You don't!"

"I want to leave my mark on this earth before I go Edward.", she said without yelling, "Some small thing that says I was here and I made a difference in someone's life somehow. It doesn't have to be BIG but I want that more than anything. That and to do most of the things on my list."

"What list?" Edward stopped walking and looked at her.

"I have a list of things I want to do before I leave.", she shared, "I've done a bunch of them, but not all."

"Is tempting a vampire on this list?", he smiled, walking.

She gave a little girlish giggle. "It is now."

"Great." He smirked.

"You should do one of those.", she lit up inside, finding a way to reach him again, "Things you want to do before you die."

"I'm not going to die."

"And you won't live, either.", she stopped and turned to him, looking into his empty eyes, adding, "Not with that attitude."

He didn't answer that.

"Come on, you write in your diary, I saw you last night. That book was filled !", she remembered, "Surely one little list wouldn't—"

"You read my journal?", he stopped cold, his eyes dark as night, his mouth clenched tight.

"Not all of it.", she swallowed, feeling a little afraid again.

"What did you see?", he frowned more and just like that Mr. Hyde was back.

"Nothing much.", she lied.

"Your heart is racing.", he read her body again, still looking deadly, "Don't make me look into your mind, I don't want to do that. Say it."

"I just read one line, it was dark you know. You should open a curtain once in awhile.."

"Tell me."

"It said, I killed him, savagely, and I loved it." She answered quietly, not daring to move.

He stood there for a long time, staring at her, not saying anything.

"Why are you still here?", Edward asked, angry suddenly, squinting his eyes at her, "I'm a murderer who loves to murder, what are you doing here with me? You can't possibly be that lonely. Let's go, I'm taking you home now."

"No I won't go.", she argued like a child as he walked away from her, back towards the house, "Edward, don't be mad at me, I wasn't snooping, I was trying to find your address during my bad escape last night. I wouldn't go into your mind without you letting me, either. I'm sorry!"

"I am not mad at you.", he turned to her, a bit softer now, "This is just a bad bad idea, us hanging around together."

"Edward!", she shouted, then as he kept walking, she yelled, "RED!"

He knew this was the code to stop. His legs obeyed, he froze in place.

She slowly walked up behind him, not saying a word, and gently laid her head on his back, her tiny hands wrapped around him as much as they could. His eyes closed, loving the warmth that radiated from her. He couldn't send her away and he knew it.

"I'm sorry.", she whispered, "I know that hurts you, doing what it is in your nature to do. Tigers and lions don't feel bad after they've eaten. It's not right that you should feel guilt because of what your body craves. I'm sorry."

He let out a hard breath. This girl was too kind to be real, he couldn't help thinking. She must be an angel.

"Your plan about the kidnappers is too dangerous Sammi.", he sounded sweet again, concerned, changing the subject, "Please let's talk about something else. I will think of another way to get those girls out."

"Okay, more questions?", she raised a brow, hoping.

"Sure.", he knew it was his turn to answer hers now.

"Do you still want to tie me up?", she flirted a bit, adding, "Tell the truth."

"Yes.", he was honest, staring at the ground as they walked.

"Why?" she smiled a bit, coyly.

"It made me feel safe.", Edward said, "I felt in control."

She probably wouldn't understand this. But being with her now, letting her dance freely in the woods like a wood sprite was stirring up feelings in him he didn't recognize. Every time the wind blew and he smelled that nice fresh lemon air, he wanted to taste it. He wanted to taste HER. He put it out of his mind, not allowing himself to ask it.

In his memories, he could see flashes of other girls. Girls he had saved. Once in awhile, he would ask them for a small favor in return. They always agreed happily, grateful for his saving their lives. What was one little vial of blood to them, anyway? If it made their vampire savior happy, they were glad to do it. He could see himself in the past shadows of his life, professionally inserting a needle into their inner elbow, like a doctor would take a blood sample.

Through the years, Edward found that while the blood of the wrong doers darkened him a bit, blood of the innocent kept him from going over the edge to plunge fully into the blackness. It was the only thing that he knew was keeping his inner demon in its place. It had been so long since he had asked for innocent blood. He felt like he was slipping.

"What's wrong?", she asked, as if she could hear his mind working.

"You don't really find me as evil as those men who kidnapped you, do you?" he asked with an air of uncertainty.

"No Edward.", she twirled again, making his eyes clench closed.

Please stop doing that, he begged internally, it's like watching blood dance right before my eyes.

"In fact, I think we should go back and have you tie me up again.", she thought aloud.

"What?" he sounded shocked.

"I think it's important for us to figure out what helps you control your need and then eventually you won't need to tie someone up to feel safe.", she explained. Also, she had to admit, she wanted to explore those feelings she had last night. She knew nothing about desire or lust, only what she'd read in books, but there was a little devil inside herself, too, a dirty little one. She did not want to have sex or anything, but there were a couple things on her list she was curious about. Maybe, since they were friends, he would help her a little, too while they were together. Innocent help. God, this is so wrong, she thought, smiling. But surely God had put those feelings in her in the first place.

"Sitting or laying down?", she asked once they were back in the basement again.

"Uhhh", Edward looked so terrified she laughed a little.

"Say it.", she warned with her serious eyes, "This is my job as your teacher, don't be afraid. Trust."

Moments later, she was brought up to the house above the basement. He had given her the whole tour of every room. The only room with a bed in it was a small guest room. Everything was so modern and stylish, like an MTV house from the Real World or something. It was flawlessly clean, not a spec of dust anywhere. It also looked very empty and not lived in. Sammi felt even more sorrow for Edward as they reached the end of the tour, standing now in the dining room, a large black marble table catching her eye.

Edward stared at it, looking a little queasy.

"Oh I get it." Her eyes sparkled as she walked over to it slowly, "You want me here, right?"

"No!", he took a step towards her, almost yelling the word. He felt so perverted and twisted, he looked down at the shining black floor.

"Truth Edward.", she gave him an annoyed look, lifting herself to sit on the edge of the wicked looking table.

"This almost looks like an altar.", she stroked her small hand over the top next to her, "So pretty."

"Please.", he gritted through his teeth, still not looking at her. He wanted her on the table, he wanted to tie her to it and do things to her. But he knew it was wrong, so very wrong. The demon would awaken and she'd be tied up, helpless against it.

"What?", she asked innocently, "This is what I think we should do. You tie me to this table, and take your time. Smell me, touch me, whatever comes naturally to you. No sex, though, Edward. Let yourself see where the line is and when you can't stand it anymore, practice stopping yourself. Take control of that demon in you, and pull him back. If you take your time and get sick of my scent, then you'll be like, free of it. And I won't tempt you so much anymore."

"That is so hard." Edward still didn't look at her. He doubted her tied there for 2 years could make him sick of her scent.

"You have to learn this.", she said without anger, "How are you going to be able to be around people again until you find a way to master this?"

"How do you know all this stuff?", Edward suddenly raised his eyes to hers, defensively, "Do you have some degree in vampire psychology that I wasn't aware of?"

"No.", she shrugged, still seated on the table, "But I know how to reach people. Do you want to kill innocent people someday Edward?"

He sighed, "No."

"Then I'm waiting for you.", she laid herself down on the table, face up.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger

Great scene coming up next!

(Wicked laughter)


	12. Chapter 12

"Then I'm waiting for you.", she laid herself down on the table, face up.

"Don't be ashamed, Edward.", she closed her eyes, laying there, waiting, "There is no wrong if your mind needs you to do something. Just control it."

He found himself going to the curtains on the other side of the room, taking the red silk curtain ties from them, letting his jacket fall from his arms and onto the floor with a soft thud, and moving over towards her.

She didn't say anything more and he was glad. It made him feel even more disgusting when she was so lovingly giving this gift to him. He vowed to his mother not to hurt her, no matter how hard this would become. But Sammi was right. He would have to learn to be Master over this thing inside him, or he would always be its slave. And lots of innocent people would be killed at his hands.

Be brave, she told herself as she heard his footsteps coming slowly towards her. Wondering what he would do, she couldn't deny this was very naughty and thrilling.

Sex was something she knew she'd never get to experience in this lifetime, but maybe some light petting would be enough to tell her what it might feel like, in some small way. And she'd rather die now than to have some horny 16 year old boy grope her. With Edward, someone so wise and experienced, she felt safe in this. When Edward was himself, his touch was soft and gentle. Her heart knew he wouldn't hurt her. She hoped her heart was right.

Without a word, he curled his ice fingers around her right wrist, a silky loop of fabric weaving around it, closing securely but not pinching skin.

"Too tight?", he asked, her safety first in his mind.

"No.", she felt her body shiver on the cool hardness of the marble beneath her.

Her wrist moved up over her head as he secured the other end to the table leg. She was not uncomfortable at all as he moved to the other wrist.

"Still okay?", he asked sweetly. She felt her lips smile and she kept her eyes closed peacefully, saying, "Yes Edward."

How could he think of himself as an animal when he was so perfectly sensitive, she wondered.

The other wrist was now bound like the first and he moved towards the end of the table where her legs were dangling over the edge.

His fingers were upon her ankle as he tied that one to the table leg, still timid and worried with every knot he tied.

Finally, she was all set. It seemed like an eternity of stillness had gone by when she asked, "Edward?"

"Yes?" he answered, a couple feet away, sounding positively tortured.

"Can you put something over my eyes?", she made a small request.

"Why?" he sounded so nervous, thinking she was afraid to see his face.

She didn't know how to explain it without hurting his feelings. If she got a peek at his face, over her, she was afraid she would fall in love with him right then and there. That can't happen, she told herself. They were friends, nothing more. It couldn't be anything more. For both their sakes.

"Your eyes are too captivating for me.", she revealed.

"Oh I see." He gave a small chuckle. In seconds, she felt his warm scarf lay down upon her eyes. It smelled so wonderful, she couldn't place what that scent was but it was mysteriously enchanting her.

"Good?" he asked, sounding as if he were smiling.

"Good.", she replied, ready.

A long hard breath came from his lips and he said, "I don't think I can do this, Sammi."

"I'm going to get mad at you Edward.", she waited, then added, "This is as much for me as it is you, you know."

"What?"

"Maybe I'm being selfish, too, but, this might be the only chance I have to feel a man's hands…on me. I've only been examined by doctors, I never had anyone touch me that way. I dream about it sometimes. It's one of the things on my list.", she swallowed after she said this, hoping he wasn't scared away.

He gave in, he wouldn't fight her anymore. He could read her thoughts and understood. She thought he was experienced because of his age, Edward almost laughed. How wrong she was in that fact. He'd never even kissed a girl before. This girl was in for a big disappointment.

I need my music, he told himself, it might help him stay on the good path.

Shutting up, he went over to the stereo and switched on a CD he'd just started listening to.

The song was familiar to her as it played. Perfect. Take my breath away by Berlin. The first bars of the music was enough to pull her into the right mood.

"Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game.", the sexy female voice rose up into the tense air around them.

In a heavenly moment, she heard his breath close by and his hand finally made contact with her hair, letting her curls wrap softly around his cool fingers.

He knelt beside the table, watching the light shine off every curve of her ebony locks. For a long time, he just caressed every inch of those raven tresses, fascinated with its brilliance, moving some of their weight over the right side of her face, trailing his finger down the side of her hot cheek.

"Ohhh.", she breathed a moan, arching her back a bit, feeling his both hands slipping skillfully into her mane of hair, touching the scalp, exploring it sensually, then in one long motion, slowly moved the length of it up over the table, letting it stream out so he could see it better.

"On this endless ocean  
Finally lovers know no shame."

The angel voice sang on , putting a sexual heat in the room. Maybe this song was not the best idea, Edward thought a little late to himself.

His hands were loving the feel of her satin hair, he couldn't wait anymore, she told him to do what came naturally, so he did. He leaned in, grabbing a handful into his fist and inhaling, letting his nose get lost in her lemony curls, citrus and oranges filling his lungs.

"Mmmm.", he hummed appreciatively, loving the way she smelled, never daring to get this close before. He couldn't pull himself away for a long time as they song played on.

"Turning and returning  
To some secret place inside  
Watching in slow motion  
As you turn around and say

Take my breath away"

"Edward.", she whispered, her fingers uncurling in their silk bonds.

Open hands, smiling lips, Edward observed the girl before him, so far so good. He peeked into her mind and saw himself there, smiling at her in the woods, from earlier, the wind blowing his hair behind him.

His fingers softly lifted her chin up, his single finger slowly trailed down her throat, making a little circle onto the hollow of her skin at the bottom.

She felt his nose lightly skim down her flesh after where his finger had gone. He had wanted to kiss the spot at the bottom but stopped himself. Moving her face away from him to its side, he smelled the flesh near her earlobe, moving down towards the red zone, the jugular.

"Watching I keep waiting  
Still anticipating love.", the singer kept knitting the web around them.

_**Tell me about it**_, Edward mentally replied to the song lyrics.

His breath came out suddenly, touching her neck. His hair was so soft against her skin she thought she'd cry out.

"Control it.", she whispered, knowing it was already hard for him by the sound of that breath.

He decided to turn his attention away from her throat and move it to her face, his light fingers moving over the scarf upon her blind eyes, then one finger traced down her little button nose, not stopping until it reached her pouting lips, tracing along the outside lines of her mouth as it slightly opened, and they curled together, kissing his finger with one glorious movement.

"Never hesitating  
To become the fated ones  
Turning and returning  
To some secret place to hide."

Without thinking, he leaned in and placed a soft, deep kiss upon those lips, so incredibly soft and tender under his cold mouth and so hot to the touch. His lips felt like hot butter on hers, melting.

_**My first kiss**_, she thought in happiness as her heart took off inside her chest, _**God, it was fucking PERFECT! Not sleazy or too hard, not too rough. Oh please kiss me again Edward…**_

Edward had heard that loud and clear and his lips couldn't help but smile, glad she was pleased with his very first kiss too.

"God.", she whispered.

Another kiss found her cheekbone briefly and his hands moved to her shoulders, covered by a white t-shirt. He reached up and moved his hands down her arms that were raised over her head, making her giggle for a second.

"Cold.", she commented with a smile, still seeming to enjoy him.

"Watching in slow motion  
As you turn to me and say

Take my breath away  
Take my breath away."

"Warm.", he whispered, his palms moving down the sides of her waist, careful not to touch her breasts, bare beneath the cotton of her shirt, hearing her voice give a small laboured breath.

When Edward bought clothes for the women he'd rescue, he had thought of purchasing bras but it proved to be too difficult for him as the salesgirl at the store was asking him for cup sizes.

Her head was spinning in a whirl and for a second, she forgot where she was. She wondered if this was just his touch doing it, or if there was some vampire magic pulling her into the darkness.

His fists clutched the bottom of her shirt at her waist, his head bent slightly and rested on her flat stomach. Control, Edward told himself, relax, let go of the shirt. Be nice to our little friend before she gets mad at us.

He rested his head there for a minute, eyes closed. His fingers uncurled, letting the shirt go, then like eager claws they moved up a bit underneath the white cotton, slightly scratching along her rib cages.

"Uhhh.", she clenched her fists, giving the silk ropes a slight tug, not really wanting to escape. Her body was on fire, this was UNREAL!

Her mind went to a place then that Edward wasn't prepared for. She was picturing herself in her catholic school uniform, bent over her teacher's desk, getting a spanking with a ruler. Of course, Edward was the teacher doling out the discipline, wearing a suit, tie, and glasses too.

"Mr. Cullen, I'm sorry!", she begged in her vision, wearing two ponytails as he struck her naked ass again, leaving a long red mark there.

"You are a bad little girl with a dirty filthy little mind!", the Edward teacher in her vision responded cruelly, striking her again.

_**WOW!,**_ Edward had to get out of her head immediately, _**it's always the quiet ones…**_

__Her toes curled in their white ankle socks, hoping he wasn't going to touch her breasts, then she'd have to tell him to stop there…maybe.

But he didn't go any further than her ribs. Before she knew it, his fingers dug a little deeply into her rough denim legs. She almost thought his fingers were running along the buckle where her jeans snapped closed, but it was so fast and over that she couldn't be sure.

He was trying so hard to be good, she felt it, knowing he could be doing lots of things he wasn't allowing himself to do now.

"Through the hourglass I saw you  
In time you slipped away  
When the mirror crashed I called you  
And turned to hear you say  
If only for today  
I am unafraid"

The words of the song were becoming about them now, and they both listened as much as possible, trying to focus on the music and not the feelings raging in each other.

Edward's mind was no cleaner than Sammi's , however, and he pictured himself in his own brain, tearing the shirt apart, revealing her young lovely body. He heard her scream in his vision as he yanked open the jeans with one hard tug, then tore the legs of the denim from her flesh. A flash later, in his dream, he was naked and taking her full force, scratching his fingernails across her breasts and lapping up the bloody lines, ignoring her shouts of STOP, shoving her torn up shirt down deep into her mouth, holding her lips closed with his icy hand.

"RRRRRRRRR", he growled, making himself stop dreaming it. Control it, he said to himself, stop it.

He knelt again at the end of the table where her legs were parted, in the center, his head leaning weakly on her knee, a hand smoothing up the other thigh.

Edward was becoming dizzy with lust, trying to remember this girl was only 16 years old, even though her thoughts were now ones of a grown woman, a very desiring woman.

Now she was in the swimming pool at her school, it looked like, and Edward was her swim team coach. She was totally nude in the water with him as he shoved her face down into the water, timing her with a stopwatch and yanking her head out. "That was so good, Sammi.", he approved, "One minute and 45 seconds. Good girl, come give your coach a big kiss." He yanked her face up to his and kissed her hard and deep, his tongue caressing hers. Then suddenly, he broke from her and said, "Try to go for 2 minutes this time." And shoved her head back under the water.

"Haunted by the notion  
Somewhere there's a love in flames" the voice sang.

So many things he wanted to do but wouldn't, it was hurting him physically to stop himself. He wanted to taste her skin, to caress her breasts, to rip open her jeans and have her. The demon was waking up now, trying to get control of his hands.

Control yourself, he scolded himself., then he spoke to the demon residing in him, shouting at him internally, "Don't you DARE come near this girl, you sick FUCKING thing! I'll eat your kidneys! BACK OFF! NOW!"

"Awww", the demon cooed inside Edward's soul, "Are we in love now? We don't feel LOVE, we don't feel anything but THIS! This girl is nothing, nothing but a sweet little meal for us, COME ON EDWARD! Don't keep pretending you're human ! This is what we EAT, now STOP IT and take it !"

Unthinking again, he climbed upon the table, straddling her, leaning down and kissing her lips, opening his mouth and touching her tongue with his. She could feel his body harden against hers and she was trembling all over. This feeling was wild and hot and frightening. She wanted it and she didn't want it at the same time. What the hell was she doing?

"Edward.", she breathed harder, and her breath was like hot fire to his ice skin. He wanted more. He didn't care about anything else, screw this, he sneered internally, he would have her. He clutched her hair roughly in both hands, moving her face to his as he kissed her deeper, feeling her returning his kiss. She wanted him too.

"Turning and returning  
To some secret place inside  
Watching in slow motion

As you turn my way and say  
Take my breath away  
Take my breath away."

An uncaring animal now, Edward forgot himself for a moment and moved her head back hard by her hair, exposing the throat he so longed for. The ivory veins pulsed and the blood was zooming through them, a woman aroused produced the most delicious aroma.

Like a hungry tiger, he took a long lick up her throat, preparing it for his venom kiss. He opened his mouth and leaned in, about to penetrate that thin crush of flesh before getting to what was his. He would drink first a bit, then make love to her, then finish drinking the rest of her.

"LINE, EDWARD, LINE!", she yelled out, her fists clenched hard, turning her fingers a bit reddish in color.

Her little feet were kicking, not that it would do much to help her.

He doubted he could even speak now but her voice was piercing the blur of desire around them.

"RED !", she screamed, "Stop Edward, stop." she felt the edges of his teeth right on her skin, cool and wet from his tongue.

"Think of your parents.", she closed her eyes and tried anything she could to calm him, to bring her nice Edward back, "Think of your mother, she can see us now. Stop him, Edward, put a leash on that thing inside you, don't let it move you. Don't listen to it. YOU control what you do."

Shivering, she really thought at that moment she was going to die. She was ready but she didn't want Edward to cross that line. All she felt was failure, she did not know how to help him. She failed him was all she could think. In fact, she tempted him to kill even more. She would be his first innocent victim, that started it all. But she could not blame Edward. It wasn't his fault he was what he was, just like a panther or a wolf, it was part of him, this predator.

"Edward please don't.", she whimpered, bracing herself, "Stop yourself. Oh God, Edward I'm so sorry. I did this."

After a long few minutes in that exact position as if he were a statue about to bite her, he finally moved. It was her thoughts that reached him. Blaming herself for what he would do was just ridiculous. But once he saw how she was failing him, in her thoughts, he couldn't hurt her.

He backed away, holding his breath, and gave a deadly punch to the stereo, killing the song, pieces of machinery hitting the floor like glass splinters.

She let out a huge breath of relief, relaxing her body instantly.

He was pacing, a few feet away from her, silently, just breathing in an out, cleansing his lungs of her scent. This was good, he was finding a way to deal with this in a nonviolent way. Well, except for killing the stereo.

She smiled slightly, still not able to see him. He looked at her quickly, seeing she looked to be fine, not upset in the least…or scared. Weird.

The demon was cursing mad inside Edward's head, spilling profanities endlessly at his altar boy counterpart. But Edward ignored him, thinking instead about the girl.

I can't believe I stopped, he kept telling himself, secretly a little proud of his restraint.

Ten minutes had gone by until Sammi finally asked, "Are you still with me, Edward?"

"Yes I'm here.", he said with a deep tortured voice from the corner of the room, "I wouldn't leave you alone tied up that way."

"You did SO good Edward.", she said, proud of him too.

"Good?", he asked in utter disbelief, "I nearly—"

"But you didn't!", she smiled, not trying to struggle in her bonds, "You beat the monster. You didn't follow. You were strong. I'm so proud of you, and that was only your first try. The more you practice, the stronger you'll get."

"More practice?", he sounded appalled, "No, that's it. Done, finished, completed."

"You can't give up after less than one song length of time.", she grinned, "That's like studying for three minutes."

"Sammi," he came a couple steps closer, "I was so close to taking you, I REALLY really was! I didn't even THINK about it anymore."

"I didn't say you get an A plus on the first try.", she retorted, "But that was great for your first attempt."

"Aren't you upset at what I did?", he asked, confused.

"Not at all.", she replied, "Actually, I was quite enjoying it, until I felt the teeth."

"Oh my God.", he covered his mouth with his hands. The girl was insane.

"I'm not stupid, Edward, I know a little about sex.", she said, "I haven't done anything, but I've read things. I can see what some of my friends are talking about, it can get pretty HOT. A small part of me was thinking about letting you keep going."

"Jesus Christ.", Edward growled off in the corner, stunned.

"Your touch is so sweet, Edward.", her voice cooed sweetly to him, "I'm glad I didn't see your eyes during that, I would've fallen head over heels in love. I can't believe it, that you crawled up onto the table, and when you licked my neck I thought I would DIE."

"I thought so too.", Edward informed, seriously, his voice a little cold, still unable to get close to her, still pacing. She came so close to death it wasn't funny.

"And you know, by the way,", he said, genuinely flustered as he paced, "You weren't exactly helping with YOUR thoughts ! There are some REAL BAD GIRL THINGS going on in there !"

"Are you mad at me, Edward?", she asked sadly, "I never had those kind of thoughts before, I don't know where they came from…Did I do something wrong?"

He stopped pacing and gave a hard sigh, his hands on his hips.

"No Sammi.", he said tenderly, "You did nothing wrong, nothing. It's me. I ruin everything I touch."

"Well I guess that's true.", she smiled, "You've definitely ruined me for anyone else. Not that I would've ever had anyone else."

"I'm so sorry.", he stayed far from the table, "I have no control. I haven't ever been with anyone, you know what I'm saying?"

"Never?", she sounded shocked, still blindfolded and tied.

"Never."

God, a 100 year old virgin, she thought before she could stop herself.

"Hey!", Edward yelled suddenly, hearing that.

"Oh don't get all mad, I'm a virgin, too.", she informed.

"Stop using that word!", Edward pleaded, still pacing a bit.

"It's a perfectly acceptable word.", she argued, then stopped herself, trying a different road to get to him.

"Edward?", she called softly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you.", she said, smiling more.

"For what ?"

"The most beautiful first kiss ever.", she sounded dreamy, her eyes hidden under his scarf. Wow, she thought, I kissed a VAMPIRE and I liked it. I loved it!

"Thank you, too, Sammi.", he sounded closer to her now, smiling down upon her, "That was my first kiss, too."

Almost tingling, she sighed and then added, "Those other kisses after the first were pretty great, too. In a whole different way. I love that thing you did with your tongue."

"I'm getting the gag back for you now.", he walked away from her again, pacing, "Catholic school girls."

"Vampires.", she muttered back, grinning.

Hope you liked that !

See next chapter

WinndSinger


	13. Chapter 13

13

Two hours later-----

"Edward, you're doing so great!", she giggled, her skin tingling, "That tickles."

"I can't believe you're still tied to this table.", he inhaled her skin again, his nose in her neck this time.

"I don't even feel any hint of teeth or tongue anymore.", she graded him as his nose moved back up to her hair, "Just your cute little nose, sniffing me."

He chuckled into her ear, "I like sniffing you."

"Is it getting easier now?" she asked, wondering if this was helping or hurting him.

"Yes and no.", he said, putting a tiny baby kiss on her collarbone.

Her eyes still under the scarf, she closed them tighter at his lips on her skin. He felt so good, thank God she was tied up or she'd be doing things to make him mess up.

"What do you mean?" she tried to keep focused.

"Yes, it's easier the more I am close to you. The more I like being close to you.", he informed, laying his cheek on her cotton shoulder, "And no, because now that I have been doing this for so long, I really want to taste your blood. Badly."

"Uh oh." She said, "Do you want to stop?"

"No.", he said honestly, "Don't be afraid, I won't drink your blood. I just want to be honest with you, like you told me. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that's great.", she said truthfully, "But I feel bad, tempting you, not letting you have…what you want. I don't want to torture you."

"Don't worry, Sammi.", he put a finger on her chin, going down it slowly, "I'll probably let you loose in the morning."

"The morning?", she squeaked, her back was already getting a little sore now, but who cared?

Laughing, he was about to respond with another joke but the phone rang.

"Dammit!", she said it first, surprising him. He laughed even harder, because he was going to say the exact same thing.

"Aww", he teased, standing up, "The little church girl is getting profane!"

"No, that's not what I'm getting.", she smiled, turning her head a bit.

"I'm gonna have to get my ruler out.", he teased, remembering her teacher student fantasy.

"Tease.", she sneered.

"Hello?" he answered the phone, and instantly, as a joke, placed his palm over her little mouth.

This was making her even more hot. She wouldn't try to scream for help anymore but she made a little humm sound under his hand, and that pleased her even more. To be completely helpless and silenced this way, under his complete control. So much penance would have to be said when she got home from here. Oh God, confession! How was she going to explain this to Father Vaughn in the confessional booth?

Trying to lick his hand to tease him didn't work.

Edward sighed on the phone, saying, "Alright, I think I have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do. Let me call you about it tomorrow, okay? Yes. Good night."

Hanging up, he groaned a bit and took his hand off her mouth.

"What's that?", she asked, trying not to sound too nosey.

"I'm going to have to get those girls out by tomorrow or the next day.", he said aloud, thinking on his feet, "That was Detective Langston. He found out there are other buyers trying to get them and they're very anxious to get their hands on them."

"What are you going to do?", she asked.

"I liked your idea earlier.", he said, "But not the part about trading you for them. I'll just tell them that I'm going to dispose of you myself."

She got a little chill at that. "Or." He said, I'll take you home before they come here to do the 'exchange.' Once they're here, I can just take them down and the girls will be safe."

Sadness instantly found its way into her heart. He was going to take her home. In the next day or two. She wouldn't be part of anything, either, to help save those girls. All she had to look forward to now was chemotherapy. Yippie.

"What's wrong?", his voice was floating right above her now, sensing her sadness.

"I don't want to go yet.", she said like a small child, and Edward smiled down at her covered eyes, "And I wanted to be in on the plan, helping those girls."

"Sammi, it's so dangerous.", he warned softly, sitting on the table near her head and massaging both her temples, "I never want you near those men again. Even you being in the same zip code with them is making me nervous."

"Every thing is always too dangerous for me.", she complained, "My parents hardly let me do anything great like skydiving or rock climbing. Now you. Every body underestimates me."

"That's not it, Sammi.", he sighed, "I know you're not weak, look how brave you're being, tied to my table for the last two hours. I know you can do anything."

"You think that?", she smiled, touched by his words.

"I know it.", he kissed her forehead, "In fact, I think there is something I can have you do to help the plan. Did you ever do anything in the Drama Club at school?"

"Yes.", she chuckled, "I've been in some plays and I love dancing."

"Good.", he hired her, "I can use you then, tomorrow."

"What are you—"

"Nope, I'll tell you tomorrow.", he denied her any more information right now.

"Okay." She agreed, feeling his fingers lightly moving her hair around again.

"You like my hair, don't you?", she smiled.

"Yes.", he gently smiled beside her, "I love dark." , meaning the color of it.

"There's a surprise.", she teased, laughing.

"Maybe I'll mail it to you in a couple of months.", she joked, as she always did when it came to her illness.

She heard his voice gasp and then it turned serious.

"Not funny, Samantha.", he used her full name. Her Dad did that a lot too.

"Oh lighten up Edward.", she grinned, then changed the subject.

"So you were saying, you still want to drink my blood.", she got back to business.

"You don't forget anything, do you?", he asked, his voice returning to normal now.

"Well, this is important.", she laid there, trying to think like a therapist would who was counseling a blood addict.

"You drink human blood now, regularly.", she stated, "If you have fed, recently, why do you thirst for my blood now?"

"I told you, your blood is innocent.", he said, glad he couldn't see her eyes now, "Young, MOSTLY pure blood." He teased, after seeing her fantasies.

"And that tastes better than drug dealer blood?", she tried to figure it out.

"Oh yes.", he said firmly.

"Edward?", she asked with a little frown.

"What?"

"How do you know that?"

Uh oh. Edward thought. She was good. Now he'd have to admit something awful and she'd want to leave. Part of him wanted her to run away screaming, but if she did, it would leave his world empty again. He couldn't even think about it.

"That's an awfully long silence, there, Edward.", Sammi waited, knowing he was freaking out about something in his head.

"You've already killed an innocent person, haven't you?", she almost whispered.

"NO!", he leapt from the table, shouting it.

"Calm down Edward." She soothed, "I'm not afraid, I'm just asking. How do you know how good it tastes?"

He closed his eyes and just made himself say it.

"I've…tasted it from time to time.", he admitted, "Just small little tastes once in awhile. I didn't kill anyone. I have asked some of the girls I've saved for…a small sample. They agreed. But even then, I didn't bite them, I took a blood sample with a needle. They weren't hurt."

"Okay.", she said calmly, feeling his voice get tense, "Why did you decide to try this?"

"I have some degrees in Medicine.", he informed, pacing a little again along the length of the table, "I've been doing some experiments on myself over the years. It seems drinking the blood of the bad people leaves parts of them in me, like, their essence stays with me a little. It darkens me. I decided to see if innocent blood, a little here and there, helps erase some of that essence of evil. It seems to. It eases me. It makes the demon tired and quiet for a long time. And I feel like myself again for a little while."

"I understand.", she answered, but sounded unhappy.

"What's wrong?"

"You are going to keep wanting it, more and more now, more every time.", she said, from her experiences in helping drug addicted teens, "Before you know it, you will not be able to get enough of it."

"I know.", he said, being as honest as he could, "I feel myself slipping again lately, all the time. Just last night I almost killed YOU."

"How long has it been since you had innocent blood?", she asked.

"A year.", he answered, "Give or take a few days."

"This is part of the problem.", she realized aloud, taking a breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm scaring you.", he felt so dirty, "I'm going to take you home now."

"Stop it Edward.", she said, "I decide where I'm going and what I'm going to do. No one controls me."

"I'm sorry.", he offered, not moving from where he stood.

"I want you to have some of my blood, then.", she stated, deciding.

"No, Sammi, I wasn't asking for your blood.", he explained.

"I know, I'm offering it.", she said, "This can't be the way for you to go on in the future, but you need it right now. Later, you can find a way to resist the bad in you without drinking the pureblood. But you can take a little sample of me. If you want it."

_**If I want it, she says**_, he thought to himself, _**God, how much I want it !**_

"Isn't this some kind of sin?", Edward asked.

"Nope.", she said without hesitation, "And I quote from the bible, Jesus said:

_"**For I was hungry and you gave me food,**_ _ **I was thirsty and you gave me drink,**_ _ **I was a stranger and you welcomed me, **_ _ **I was naked and you clothed me,**_ _ **I was sick and you visited me, **_ _**I was in prison and you came to me"**_ _**She went on, "Then the righteous asked him, 'Lord, when did we do all these things for you?**_ _ **And Jesus answered them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.'.'**_

"That applies to vampires too?", Edward asked, blown away by her goodness. Her blood was really going to be like drinking heaven. He didn't deserve it.

"Everyone.", she shrugged, still in her bonds and not minding.

"You're the best friend I ever had, Sammi.", he said like a dream above her blinded eyes, "I don't deserve you. And I'm not just saying that because of the blood."

"I know Edward.", she felt tears come to her eyes, "You're my best friend, too. I love you."

"You do?", he asked, not knowing why.

"Yes of course I do.", she answered, "I would do anything for you."

He wanted to say it back to her but he was so hollow and empty inside. All he could offer was, "If I could feel love, I would love you, too. God, that's so pathetic."

He hated the way that sounded as soon as he said it. He hated himself. She deserved to hear him say, "I love you too." But he didn't want to lie or hurt her. He did care about her and would do anything for her, too. But his soul was black, his heart was dead. The demon was right about one thing. They couldn't feel love. They never would. He was just getting his hopes up.

"It's going to be a long road, Edward.", she said, understanding, "You're gonna have to be really strong and take one step at a time. When you're clean of all the dark and innocent blood, later, after you're very very strong, you will be able to give your heart to someone. You'll see. You're just not ready yet. You can't feel true love when you're addicted to something. Your blood is in charge now. It tells you what to feel, what to love. When you're in charge, you'll find her. And she will love you too, so much it'll make you fly. Your wings will be healed. I will be so happy for you then."

He didn't say anything for a long time. She waited patiently for him to process this and to break the silence, she asked, "So, when would you like my blood? Now? Later?"

"Well, it's time for you to have dinner.", he looked at the clock, "Not tonight, okay? Tomorrow, is that alright?"

"Sure.", she smiled, "Needles are a common thing for me, so don't worry, I'm not squeamish. Wait."

"What?"

"Won't my blood hurt you?", she asked, "Because of me being sick?"

"I've done my research on that already.", he informed, proudly, "It will make me a little weak for an hour or two, but not a big deal. I'll still get to experience all of you. That's what I'm really looking forward to. Knowing all you know, feeling all you've felt. This is a great gift you're giving me, Sammi. I don't ask this of just anyone. This is a very great honor you're giving me. Are you sure about this?"

While he had spoken, he was stroking her hair with both hands again, making her body tingle once more.

"Yes I'm sure.", she said right away, "I want you to drink me."

"Please don't say it like that.", Edward's voice was husky and deep, "You are also as tempting as Hell itself, Sammi."

"Are you finished with me Edward?", she asked, moving her wrists a bit in their silk ropes.

He smiled down at her, enjoying what he saw. He could only think of one word.

"Never."

See next chapter soon

Love WinndSinger


	14. Chapter 14

14

"This is perfect.", she smiled so brightly as she took another slice of pizza, the fireplace a few feet away, glowing hotly beside her. A nice tall cold glass of pink lemonade on the floor beside the pizza.

"I'm glad you're liking it.", Edward smiled at her. Every light in the house was off, the only light came from the fire. His eyes were even more gorgeous in the orange glow of firelight, she had to keep looking away. She was sure they were drawing her into him more and more, and that was really scaring her. Not the fact that he killed or that he was a vampire, the fact that she was starting to love him and she'd have to leave soon. It almost made her cry when she thought about it.

"The pizza is great, but I mean YOU.", she pointed out, looking at him sitting on the floor next to her, Indian style, playing his black guitar for her while she ate.

"I accept all kinds of tips.", he smirked, trying to think of what to play for her next.

"Here's a tip." She leaned in, kissing his soft lips quickly and swaying back to her spot on the floor.

"Oooh.", he winced, "Garlic."

She gasped, "Oh my God, I did have some on there, are you alright?!"

He laughed at her terrified reaction, getting a slap or two from her on his arm.

"Jerk, that wasn't funny.", she scolded, laughing a little, going back to her pizza.

"Thanks for the kiss.", he said seriously. He liked her kisses too much.

"Thanks for the heart attack.", she frowned back with a grin at the end, taking a bite.

"You like….Rick Springfield?", Edward asked, starting to play a slow melody, "He's not too terrible."

"I do like him.", she smiled, listening. His voice had knocked her off her feet when he first sat down on this floor. Now she wanted him to sing all night.

"I know just what you're doing, you want to put the hurt on someone.", he sang like a god, "You've been trying to convince yourself it's better off if you just turn and run."

She smiled, enchanted.

"But I'm gonna hold on tight,

I've got a feeling

You'll only happen once to me" he sang, right to her, staring at her.

She got a lump in her throat, hearing the words.

He sang on, tenderly:

"And no one , not even you

Is ever gonna make you wrong for me.

Don't walk away

Are you looking for a price to pay

Is that your master plan ?

Don't walk away

I'll do everything to make you stay

I've got to make a stand

Don't walk away

I'm not afraid

Don't walk away"

He closed his eyes, playing so beautifully, his voice eternal as he went on :

I don't know where you're going

But I know what you've got on your mind.

But I think your fear is showing,

You don't leave things like fear behind.

I hate to be the one to break it to you that

We're only human after all

I can mend a broken wing

I'll give you everything I have…

Don't walk away

I'll do anything to make you stay

Don't walk away

I'm not afraid !

Don't walk away…"

She clapped her hands, applauding, putting her pizza down on the plate.

"Yay!", she felt tears in her eyes, hoping he couldn't see them in the dark, "God, you have a magnificent voice."

"Don't do that Sammi.", he said with a flat voice, looking at the floor.

"Do what?", she avoided, acting dumb.

His eyes looked up to meet hers, not a hint of sarcasm or teasing there, only hurt and loneliness.

"Don't pretend you don't know.", he answered.

"Umm..", she took a sip of her lemonade and asked, "Do you know any Michael Jackson songs?" Maybe that would change the subject, she hoped.

His eyes squinted now, in insulted annoyance.

"I would die all over again instead of singing a Michael Jackson song.", he stated without regret.

She laughed, almost spitting out her lemonade, holding her lips shut.

"Sammi, I wanted to ask you…", he began but she saw the serious look in his eyes again and had to change the subject again.

"Oh, I want to ask you something.", she cut him off, "Sorry, I wanted to ask you to join me tomorrow night for some teenage fun, something you sorely need. You are 17 years old, but living like you're 100. That's not good. You stay in the house in the dark all the time, you need to get out and be 17. Get yourself away from these drug dealers and slave traders for one night."

"To do what?", he asked, looking so unsure again. He was so sweet, she thought, a vampire afraid to go out at night.

"You'll see.", she smiled, liking having her little secret, "You will love it, we'll have so much fun. Say yes."

"Yes.", he didn't look very pleased, then he asked, sadly, "Are you not having fun here with me ?"

She gave a TSK sound and said, "You are silly. Of course I am having a GREAT time here with you. But I want to see you have some fun. Let me show you a good time for a change. Okay?"

He sighed, "Okay."

Looking down at his guitar, he played a couple of chords and asked, "Will there be people there ?"

"Just me.", she smiled, seeing how fragile and timid he could be. Like a baby deer she observed.

"Okay.", he breathed in relief, licking his lips quickly, looking back at her.

"How's your pizza?" he asked.

"Sooo good.", she ate some more, "The cheese is so melty and I love the sauce."

He watched her pull the cheese far out as she took a bite and he made a disgusted face.

"What?", she giggled, "Haven't you ever had pizza?"

"No and I don't wish to now.", he stared at her eating it.

"Do you really forget what food tastes like when you become a vampire?", she asked, "I can't see myself ever not wanting a good pizza or a lemonade."

"Food becomes alien after awhile.", he answered, "I can't taste food."

"God." She commented, not understanding what that must feel like.

"So what do the animals taste like ?" she asked, curiously.

His eyes went a little dark for a second and she almost got scared. She prepared for a fight but he softened his gaze and answered, "They were different. It was not bad, but, I just couldn't stick with it. I tried for a long time. I always felt unsatisfied. Bored."

"Oh.", she didn't know what to say next. Then, suddenly, she did know.

"I'm getting kind of tired.", she yawned, "We stayed up all night last night, I'm beat."

"Oh okay.", he stood up, taking extra good care of his guitar, saying, "I think the guest room is probably where you should sleep now, since it's the only one with a bed."

"Aren't you staying with me tonite?", she asked, looking scared.

"If you want me to, I will.", he said, leading the way slowly to the little bedroom down the hall.

"I want you to.", she smiled. It wasn't often she slept in a bed without a parent or a doctor close by.

See next chapter

WinndSinger


	15. Chapter 15

15

"Is this better than the guest room?", he smiled, laying beside her on the floor in front of the fire later on.

"Much.", she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, "Thanks for bringing the mattress in here for me."

"No problem.", he said in a low voice, wanting to lull her to sleep.

She yawned again, really big. He chuckled, watching her.

"Did you say your prayers ?", he asked gently, reminding her of her father again.

"Oh, I almost forgot.", she gasped.

"Almost, you DID forget.", Edward smirked, "After one night with a vampire, everything goes right down the drain."

"Shut up you.", she tapped his leg and shushed him again, ready to pray right there next to Edward. He felt weird about her conversing with God right next to him, but he didn't stop her.

She did the sign of the cross and said, in the darkness, "Thank you God for seeing me through last night. I felt so alone until you sent me Edward, here. Thank you for sending me an angel to watch over me, and such a beautiful one, too. It's way too nice of you. And I was right, I knew you were a female."

Edward tried not to laugh, she was so unique and funny.

"Please help me show Edward a way to be happy. He really needs you now and I know you'll take care of him. Thanks for letting me have a real friend before I come to crash with you upstairs. Bless my family and Edward's family, too. Goodnite. Amen. Oh and please teach Edward a Michael Jackson song."

Edward felt so touched by this he couldn't speak. She laid her face on his chest and he bent down, placing a long soft kiss on her head, smoothing the water-like curls there.

"Goodnite Sammi.", he purred, staring at the crackling fire as he listened to her breathing.

She soon fell asleep but he didn't move to leave her. He whispered, hoping she wouldn't wake up.

"Thank you, God, for sending your sweetest angel to me.", he prayed, still staring at the fire, as if it were his hell in the distance.

"Help me not to cause her any pain.", he touched her little hand upon his chest, "And please…don't let me become a monster."

It was about 2 am when he opened his journal, going to a new page and writing:

**Things to do before I die**

Love someone.

Stop feeding off the living

Be a better man

He couldn't think of anything else. And he actually gave it some time to come up with more things to put on the list. After all his years, three things were all he wanted? It seemed like too little. All three of these seemed like such an impossibility. He wondered what else Sammi had on her list. Maybe he'd ask her tomorrow.

At least he'd made one of her things come true. He'd given her her first kiss, and she gave that to him as well. He kept tasting her lips on his, everytime she kissed him now. She had heard his song earlier and avoided it. He was asking her to stay and she dodged that quite nicely. Tomorrow, he decided, when the time was right, he'd ask her properly. What was this thing she wanted to do with him tomorrow?

He kept writing in his journal, all about the time he'd spent with Sammi today and how amazing it all was, everything he felt, and she felt. Before he knew it, the sun was up and she rolled over, getting up.

"It's still early yet.", he softly whispered.

"I know, I've gotta use the little girl's room.", she giggled, running to the bathroom.

"Oh.", he chuckled too. She hurried back, wanting to be close to the warm fire and cold arms of her angel in waiting. He put the blanket back over her, watching her fall asleep again.

Without deciding to do it, his hand started sketching her sleeping face into a page of his journal, not doing her real face justice but drawing it as well as paper would allow him to.

I wish I could love her as she deserves, he wrote underneath her picture.

See next chapter

15

Later, after learning how to make eggs and toast for breakfast, Edward filled Sammi in on what his plan was with the kidnappers and what her part would be. She was flawless in her acting ability, it sounded so real Edward almost got goose bumps.

"Are you ready for this?", he asked one last time, about to pick up the phone.

"Yes.", she sounded so excited, "Let's do this!"

"Okay, wait for me.", he put up a finger, then dialed the phone.

The one in the suit answered the phone, as usual.

"Number please.", was all he said.

Edward knew it by heart, "9863451200943." He recited.

"Mr. Cullen.", the man greeted him, "I didn't think we'd hear from you so soon. How are you enjoying your purchase?"

"Uh, I'm not." He sneered, and turned, slapping a leather belt hard against the empty marble table. It made a horrid sounding whip sound and at the same time Sammi let out a blood curdling scream, then crying afterwards. Flawless, Edward gave her the thumbs up sign, totally believing it.

"What's the problem, ?", the man sounded concerned.

Sammi kept doing her whimpering sounds in the background as Edward spoke, sounding positively evil.

"The problem is, this girl is sick!", he shouted, "She's been throwing up since I brought her home and after much interrogation I finally find out that she has cancer!"

Another slam of the belt to the table and Sammi shrieked out loud again, adding, "PLEASE no more, please !!!"

"SHUT UP", Edward motioned for her to come closer and as rehearsed, placed a small towel over her mouth, muffling her screams in the background as she leaned against the wall in front of him.

"I didn't pay seven thousand dollars for a girl who's not going to able to keep up with the games I wish to play. I want immediate action."

"Anything.", the man was eager to make it right, "I'll come collect the girl and reimburse you right away."

"No.", Edward sneered darkly, "I've been very inconvenienced here and I want more than just my money back."

"What do you want Mr. Cullen?

"I will take those other girls you mentioned, you said you have only two right now?", he checked again.

"Yes, I have two.", the man informed, "A blonde, 26 years old, very nice, and a Japanese girl, 33 years old, very pretty. Like I said, they're not young, like you usually ask for."

"Are they healthy?", Edward yelled, making the whipping sound again, Sammi screaming again into the towel over her mouth.

"Yes, I guarantee you, I will double check today.", he promised, "And I can call you tomorrow so we can make the exchange. I will take Samantha off your hands. Unless you want me to send someone to collect her now?"

"No, tomorrow is fine.", he frowned, "I'd like one more day to teach this little bitch a lesson."

She started to protest through the towel, begging for mercy, words could not be made out, but the sounds were so real. She was a natural.

"SHUT UP you whore.", he smiled and winked at her as he played his part.

"Again, I will handle this myself, Mr. Cullen.", the man tried to soothe him, "I truly apologize."

"Call me tomorrow.", he said, hanging up angrily.

She laughed as he took the towel off her mouth, wiping her lips a little.

"Wow, that sounded so real.", Edward was impressed, "Those screams, how do you know how to do that, just out of nowhere?"

"It's not out of nowhere.", she looked a little sad suddenly, "I've had lots of experience screaming and crying."

"Oh God I'm sorry.", his eyes filled with sorrow for her, realizing what she meant. All the pain she'd gone through in those hospitals over the years.

"That's one of the reasons you're my best friend.", she smiled back at him, "You forget sometimes that I'm sick. You don't treat me like a dying person. I love that."

"You're not a dying person.", he stated firmly, then looked away, taking a breath. She was the most alive creature he'd ever come across.

"Well, at least the girls will be taken care of and not sold to anyone else until he brings them right to me tomorrow.", Edward sighed, "And when they come here, you're going to be far away."

"Where?", she looked as if about to argue.

"Detective Langston's place.", he decided, "It's not real far away, but enough so you'll be safe."

"Then what?" she asked.

"Then," Edward was thinking before he spoke, "You'll be free to do what you want to do. You'll be safe."

"Okay.", she felt strange now. There were things he wasn't saying. He didn't mention her going home anymore.

"Are you still sure about this?", he motioned to the kitchen counter, the needle in its wrapper sitting there.

"Yes.", she sat on a bar stool near the counter, pulling her sweater sleeve up, waiting.

Trying to lighten the mood, he unwrapped the needle and said, "If you're real good and don't cry, I'll give you a nice lollipop afterwards."

"Ooh goody!", she did a little girl voice, laughing with him as he swabbed her vein with an alcohol wipe.

"Don't worry, I'm so used to needles.", she said seriously, showing no fear at all.

"I want to thank you so much, again.", he swallowed, daring to look into her green crystal eyes, "This means so much to me, you don't know."

"I'm just afraid you'll be so bored when you drink it.", she admitted what was bothering her now, "My life is so dull and –"

"Sammi.", he stopped her, touching her lips with his finger, "Your life is the only one I give a damn about right now. I can't wait to see it and feel it. So stop that. Alright?"

Smiling back at him, she felt her eyes misting up. What is he doing to me? She asked herself, he was everything she ever dreamt of in a man. Angel, prince, doctor, fighter, dark figure. She snapped out of it as he but the handle end of the needle in his teeth, slapping her veins to awaken them a bit.

"Little veins.", he smiled at her, taking the needle out of his teeth, about to insert it.

"Trust me?", he asked, ready to do this.

"Yes, absolutely.", she grinned back, hypnotized by his every move, every blink, every breath.

"Here we go.", he said softly, inserting the needle into her fair white skin, insantly penetrating the little blue vein within.. Slowly, he withdrew the blood into the needle vial; a dark crimson liquid rose up inside it. Finally it was filled to the top.

"Okay." He said quietly, placing a cotton ball against the needle, withdrawing it with precision, letting her turn her arm upwards, to slow the bleeding.

"You're a very good patient.", he grinned back as he disposed of the needle part, keeping the little glass vial in a holder on the counter.

"Thank you Dr. Cullen.", she beamed back at his smile. "What color lollipop do I get?"

"MMMM.", he thought, wanting to joke and answer, how about a vampire flavored one? Or how about an Edward ? But he repressed the little devil inside him, going into a cabinet and coming back with, "How about pink lemonade?"

She gasped out loud, seeing a pink lollipop in his hand. "No you didn't!", she laughed, surprised, "You went out and got me pink lemonade lollipops?! You are a GOD!"

"God? It's no big deal.", he giggled, taking the wrapper off and almost bringing it to her lips. She opened them, trying to take it, but he pulled it away at the last second, dong it again, and then, upon hearing her whine, he let he have it.

She gives me her blood and then is so grateful that in return, I get her pink lemonade lollipops, he thought, still confused by her.

"Suck on that quietly.", he teased, staring into her eyes again, tilting his head and breathing, "You are so easy to please."

Grinning back, she didn't try to speak with the candy in her mouth. Edward decided to use this quiet time to ask about her plans for the night.

"So," he began, "Where are you taking me tonight?"

She smiled, shaking her head no. She was not going to tell him.

"Should I dress up?", he asked yes or no questions, enjoying this.

She shook her head no.

"Is this, like, a date?", he raised a brow, hoping she'd say yes.

With a wicked smile and a giggle, she shrugged, then nodded yes.

"Hmmm.", he thought this over for a long time and then gave her that crooked boyish smile.

"Should I bring my stopwatch or my ruler?", he asked deeply as she leapt off her chair, slapping his head as he ran away, laughing.

"OW, ow", Edward pretended she was hurting him as she tackled him on the floor of the living room. He let himself fall down on his back and she straddled his chest, giving him little baby taps on his chest.

"You're so violent!", he giggled, his arms half up in fake self defense. He didn't want her to hurt her hands by slapping him, "I think I'm rubbing off on you too much."

She sucked her lips in and removed the lollipop from her mouth, wanting to win the battle. Putting it to his laughing lips, she demanded, "Open."

"Open what?", he looked in amusement as she tried to hold his hands down with her one free arm.

"That big mouth of yours.", she laughed, "I want you to taste lemonade."

"I won't taste lemonade, I'll be tasting you.", he widened his eyes, pretending to resist her efforts.

"Even better.", she grinned like an evil fairy, putting the lollipop on his bottom lip, gently, watching him.

"You realize this is not a punishment for me, don't you?", he smiled up at her face.

"Use that mouth for something else besides yapping.", she ordered like a drill sergeant, inserting the pop into Edward's willing mouth.

"Mmmmm.", his eyes sparkled, widening like a little devil's as he smiled, tasting her right away.

"Suck that quietly.", she used his words on him, her eyes heavy and glassy as she watched his mouth curl around the stick, sucking the juices of it. His eyes closed as if he were sleeping, truly enjoying it.

After a few moments, Edward opened his eyes, a dark red circle within his pupils as he gently removed the lollipop from his mouth, taking one last suck from it as he held it up to her mouth, offering it to her now, his eyes closely watched for her reaction. He expected disgust but she looked pleased by this and licked a tiny lick up the pink circle, never taking her eyes off his.

Her mouth opened and accepted the lollipop inside it completely, letting him hold the stick as she hungrily lapped every inch of it with her eager tongue. It tasted better than any candy she'd ever tasted before. She never wanted to stop tasting it.

She heard his breath come out in a large gust but she kept her eyes closed, he made no move to do anything until at last she sucked the whole pop down, only the stick remained.

Jesus, Edward shivered a bit, controlling his inner demon, he understood her longing, she was such a young girl, about to blossom into a woman, and these were her first experiences with sex; her urges were all perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of. The shame was his, because he was almost 100 years old and he wanted her so badly, knowing he shouldn't. Even giving her a lollipop was making him red hot for her.

"I have to take a shower.", Edward said suddenly, an ice COLD shower, he added in thought, carefully rollng her off, and sprinting to his bathroom.

See next chapter

Love

WinndSinger


	16. Chapter 16

PS Thanks to everyone who's reading this and for the great reviews!

I am having great fun writing this story !

16

"Do I look pretty enough for our first date?", he asked, laughing as they walked together through dark empty streets.

"Yes, you're always gorgeous, sugar lips.", she teased, making him laugh.

"What about ME?", she tapped him, "You didn't say anything about ME."

He stopped walking and silenced his laughter.

"You walk in beauty, like the night." He answered honestly, his eyes pulling her in again.

Her smile grew from nothing, she could hardly speak for a minute.

"I love that poem." She breathed, making her legs walk again, his following.

Then, like magic, she heard his melodic voice behind her, saying the words into the wind:

SHE walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climbs and starry skies;

And all that 's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens over her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent."

She felt tears in her eyes again. She wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him how much she loved him, how she was breaking her own rule about staying friends, but she cleared her throat, making herself stop it. This was their last night together and she had to stop dreaming.

"That's you.", Edward said after he thought over the words of the poem.

"We're almost there." She said, her voice sounding a little strange to his ear now.

"Close your eyes." She turned towards him, taking his cool hands into her warm ones. He smiled, closing them, trusting her to lead him to their destination.

"Okay, stop.", she sounded herself now, cheered up, Edward noticed as he waited, keeping his eyes shut as she went over to the switch behind the fence, shoving it upwards.

A slight hum sound buzzed around them as she said, "Okay, open them!"

He did and saw they were standing at the fence around an amusement park. It was all lit up with different colored twinkle lights, but closed for the winter. Not a soul was in sight.

He laughed right away as she smiled at the view through the fence.

"Surprise!", she waved her arms, coming up to him, "Do you like rides?"

"I used to.", he grinned, still looking through the fence at all the things inside, "I haven't been to one of these in decades."

"Yay, then I guessed right.", she clapped for herself, "Let's go in and see how much fun you can handle."

Smiling at her as she spun around, going over to the bushes to the right, he looked at the padlock holding the chain around the entrance. With a quick squeeze, he obliterated it into dust in his palm, sliding the chain off.

With a gasp, Sammi hurried over, "What did you do?"

"You want to go in, right?", he asked.

"I have the keys.", she jingled the keys in front of his eyes.

"Oh.", he winced, then they both laughed.

"How was I supposed to know?", he teased, watching her open the fence, slipping inside, holding it for him.

"I thought you could read minds.", she teased back, not really angry.

"I thought you could read minds", he mocked her little voice, both of them giggling.

"I used to work here during the summers.", she informed, "I hide the keys in a fake rock by the fence because the old guy who owns this place is always losing his set."

"You know how to make all these rides work ?", he sounded impressed.

"Yea, it's very complicated.", she said in sarcasm, "ON. OFF."

"Oh.", he chuckled, following her lead.

"It's pretty cool coming here in October.", she said softly, "I can just hang out, go on everything I want and not feel weird with people looking at me all funny."

"Who looks at you funny?", Edward sounded mad suddenly, wanting names of people who made her feel anything but proud.

"People.", she shrugged, not wanting to elaborate.

"I hate people.", he muttered.

"It's not their fault, people are scared of what they don't understand.", she forgave them, "I remind them that anyone can die, anytime, for any reason. And their picture perfect lives are so fragile.'

"So", she snapped out of it suddenly, turning happy again, "What's first ? What do you like?"

"I don't know, you tell me.", he smiled, "I'm sure the rides are all better now since when I last rode them."

"Oohh, bumper cars!", she yanked him behind her, running over to a little pit filled with cars.

It was funny to see Edward in a bumper car. He thought himself an expert driver in his fancy shiny cars, but this was different. She slammed into him five times before he finally got mad enough to bump her back. She felt drunk as they laughed until they cried, slamming into each other.

He went on every single thing she wanted, without argument. She thought he was having fun, and she was having the time of her life. Never had she brought anyone here with her. She loved this night, it was perfect.

"Oh, I forgot.", she said later as they walked past the sound system.

"You can play songs from here and it goes all over the park.", she unlocked it and went inside, he followed her closely.

"I know how you love your music.", she smiled back at him, looking over the choices of songs."

"Here's one for me," he pointed out, "The King of Pain."

She chuckled warmly and muttered, "You're not the bad boy you think you are."

"Yea.", he muttered back.

"Ooh, this is a good one.", she pushed the button before he could see what she chose. He tried to look but she shooed him out of the booth, closing the door behind them as the music began to play loudly over their heads.

"Can you dance, Edward?" she raised a brow.

see next chapter

Love Winndsinger


	17. Chapter 17

"Do you dance, Edward?", she raised a brow, challenging him a bit as the music began to play.

"You dance, too?", he asked, folding his arms, not believing it.

"Always.", she smiled, taking her jacket off, tossing it to the bench beside her.

"Is there anything you don't do?", he asked with a smirk, wanting to see this now.

Smiling more, she said, "Yea. I don't hang out with guys who won't dance with me."

He smiled back, liking her style as she stretched her legs, about to begin.

"Come on baby, dry your eyes.", the man singing the song overhead interrupted, "Wipe your tears."

"Nice song selection.", Edward laughed out loud. Human, the song was called, she is so funny, he chuckled.

"Like it?", she spun into a skilled ballet like curl and ended right in front of him. She gave him a little shove, and added, "Then dance with me, Edward."

"Never want to see you cry…", the voice sang on.

His eyes went darker, then he yanked his jacket off, too, tossing it to the ground, getting a huge smile from her as she ran away a bit, dancing like a graceful angel as she went, doing a little jump into the air, landing with a swirl.

It wasn't going to be hard to follow her steps, he could see into her head and see the dance she was thinking of.

"I wouldn't ever try to hurt you…I just needed someone to hold me…" the song played on as Edward played his role in the dance, the chaser to her runner.

He spun and leapt towards her, taking her wrists in his hands and giving her a twirl, then ended it with her hands behind her back, in his grasp.

She smiled up at him and spun out of his grip, spinning away but he caught her arms and twirled her back a little roughly towards him, feeling her crush against his chest, nose to nose with him. She kept dancing, clutching his t- shirt and leaning her top half back, feeling him hold her securely as she closed her eyes.

"To fill the void while you were gone, to fill this space of emptiness."

He placed a tiny kiss on her neck, lifting her up into his arms, taking her around in a slow circle, hearing her giggle. With a small thrust up in the air, he caught her as she came back down, letting her slide down along him until he let her feet touch the ground.

"I'm only human.", the song went on, "Of flesh and blood I'm made.

I'm only human, born to make mistakes."

She danced around him as he stayed still, trying to hide a smile as she went behind him, touching his shoulders. He made his next move, taking her arm and spinning her around to him again, her back now against his chest. His hand gently took her chin, tipping it up to his face, staring back into her eyes with this sudden intensity that almost scared her.

He was excellent, she had to admit, better than her geeky dance partner in class, Herbie Feinster.

Trying to dance away from him again, he followed her, dancing the exact steps, pursuing her in the dance. She opened a small fence door to a ride and closed it before he got to it.

"So many nights I've longed to hold you…", the song said, "So many times and looked and saw your face. "

He grabbed the bars, staring at her between the metal posts. She backed away, spinning around, seeing Edward land like a cat in front of her, blocking her escape, taking her waist into his hands, rotating her rib cage a bit, shaking her back and forth, dipping her top half back again, then bringing her back to him, her leg pointing straight up alongside his hip.

She felt her back against the metal fence door, trapped now, he tilted his head, looking down into her eyes, pinning her wrists up at the sides of her head, not doing or saying anything.

"Nothing could change the way I feel, no one else could ever take your place.", the song went on, "I'm only human. Of flesh and blood I'm made."

"You're a very good dancer, Sammi.", his voice was too serious and deep in the darkness.

"So are you, Edward.", she shivered, looking up into his red eyes.

"Human.", the singers reminded from above, "Born to make mistakes."

He wanted to kiss her deeply and hard, but she looked so afraid, her body was shaking. Not wanting to force himself in, he took a step back, letting her wrists go, hiding his face in the shadows.

"I think we should talk." Edward said with a husky voice, sounding uncertain as he looked into her eyes.

"Uh oh.", she looked worried, "This sounds serious."

"It is." , he said simply, opening the fence, letting her out, and motioning his head over towards the bench nearby, "Let's sit down over here."

"Okay," she admitted, going with him as he took her by the hand, "You're officially freaking me out now, Edward. What did I do?"

"Nothing, nothing.", he sat down with her, looking down at her hands and taking a deep breath. Then he turned his crimson eyes upon hers and they nearly burned with their intensity.

"I…", he stopped, then looked a little confused, saying, "I have been alone for so long now, I had almost forgotten what it was like, having someone to talk to, to confide in. I like having you around."

She smiled, finding him cute in his nervousness. "I like being around you, too Edward."

"Yes.", he looked away for a second, then continued, "I was thinking about what you said, about how in a few months you'd start to get sick again."

Her eyes took on a sudden sadness and she frowned a little, not sure what he was getting at.

"I don't want you to go.", he finally said the words, "I don't want you to get sick and I don't want you to die."

"That's not in our hands.", she started to say with thick hurt in her voice but Edward interrupted her sharply.

"It is, though.", he quickly said, "I can stop it. I can change you."

"Change me?", she frowned more, staring up at his hopeful face.

"Turn you.", he explained, "Into a…vampire."

Her eyes widened as if to say 'have you lost your mind?!' but she didn't speak.

"Just hear me out a second.", Edward could hear her mind resisting instantly.

"Edward, I don't—" she tried to argue but he wanted her to listen.

"Shh Shhh Shhh Shhh.", he gently shushed her as she tried to speak, "Let me go first this time, please?"

Her eyes looked so defeated as she stopped, letting him talk.

"You will never get sick again.", he promised, holding both her hands in his white ones, "You'll never know pain again. You will have a strength you've never known. And you will never die. And..." he trailed off at the end, looking down again, sadly.

"And what?"

"And I won't have to be alone anymore.", he said, so innocently and looking so fragile, "Neither will you."

"I'm not alone.", she answered, trying not to hurt him. This was going to be so hard. She dreamt of this happening.

"But if we—", Edward tried to speak again, ready to start convincing her but that would be even harder to listen to. He was so alone and sad and beautiful that if she let him talk her into this, she might just say yes. But she couldn't say yes.

Her voice broke as she said with true heartbreak, "Edward, I'm out of time."

She tried not to cry as his gorgeously hypnotic voice encircled her like warm air.

"No you're not.", Edward put his hands on her shoulders, softly, "I can make it so you have forever!"

With a sigh and tears in her eyes, she tried to look away, towards the roller coaster but Edward took her face into his icy palms, making her look at those piercing pleading eyes of his.

"You don't want to die.", he stated plainly, knowing that, reading that from her own mind, "You want to live. You haven't even begun yet, there is so much you haven't done. I could –"

"You said you didn't live, you existed.", she reminded, "You said it's a curse, being you. Remember? And if you change me, I will die. That's like, the pre-requisite to being a vampire, isn't it ?"

His face lost all hope and a serious stone face took its place.

"I thought maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible life – as long as we had each other.", he sounded as if he'd lost something, the dream of his escape from his misery fading, "These last couple of days, with you, have done something to me."

"What about my soul?", she almost whispered, "I don't believe that you would take that away from me. Not the Edward that I've come to know."

"But you're dying.", his eyes looked broken.

"Everyone is dying Edward, you included.", she didn't bother to wipe her eyes, "You have this eternal life but you are suffering so badly. Do _**you**_ not feel any pain? And I don't know what I'm doing; I don't know how to save you from what's happening to you. I know you're lonely and you want a friend. I do too. And I am so honored that you are asking **me**. I know this is an incredible gift you're offering me, Edward. But this isn't right. You know that, deep in your heart. If we do this, it is eternal. You don't love me that way."

"I told you I can't feel love.", he breathed, "But maybe this is the closest I can come to it. If I could feel it, I would feel it for you."

He knew how weak this sounded, he wished he could tell her he loved her and mean it with all his heart. But he couldn't. And that killed him. It was going to cost him Sammi. He would lose her.

"Love is friendship on fire. What we have is nice and comfortable and fun.", she explained, "Like a nice old pair of jeans that you wear all the time."

"You're comparing this to a pair of old jeans?"

"Listen.", she tapped his arm, "When you fall in love, it's wild, rushing excitement, passion and fire. That's what you want, not me. We fit together too well, the girl you fall in love with will probably be your exact opposite. You're not mine to have, Edward, you belong to someone else. We are best friends, not lovers."

"Come on Samantha,", he almost growled, not wanting to hear it.

"Besides that," she said, "You need to be free of those demons you are fighting, to be in full control of that dark blood in you. And you can do it, I know you can. But by the time that happens for you, I will be long gone."

"No!", he shouted, in utter pain at what she was saying. He looked as if he might even cry. She prayed for him not to, it would tear her apart.

"Edward.", she cried quietly, saying, "I don't want to be empty. I want to feel love. I don't want to lose this feeling in me, now that I have it."

"It won't be that way for you.", he said, putting his arms around her, "I would do all I could to make you happy. I swear."

"RRRR", she sat up, looking irate, "You're not listening to me at all."

"I am listening.", he informed, "But I—"

"Are you going to teach me how to hunt people when I'm changed?", she showed this problem to him from a different angle, "Will you teach me how to kill and drink blood? How to kill someone, savagely, and love it?"

He recognized his words from his journal, knowing she had seen that passage.

"Or will you just stop drinking human blood right now and start drinking animals again just for me?", she asked, knowing this wasn't an option for him yet either. That was going to take work and effort and time, just like quitting a drug.

No words came to his lips. Torment was the new color of his eyes now.

"I love you Edward.", she kissed his cool cheek tenderly, stroking his hair as she held him, "But I can't be with you. God has other plans for me…and you."

That was it, Edward was now enraged.

"THERE IS NO GOD!", he leapt to his feet, scaring the hell out of her, "IF THERE WAS, SOMETHING LIKE ME WOULDN'T EXIST ! YOU ARE GOING TO DIE AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING AFTER THAT ! NOTHING ! You'll be food for worms and bugs while you rot in the ground! There is no heaven, there is no ---"

At this, he stopped and choked back a sob, a popcorn machine was in his view and he shoved it away hard, knocking it over, pounding it with his fists until it looked like a flat metal disc on the ground.

She wanted to run but stayed where she sat.

"Feel better?", she asked, watching him pace again, fists clenched.

"No." he pouted, putting on his jacket roughly.

"Can you come back here please?" she asked patiently.

Without a word, he made himself come to the bench and sat at it defiantly, looking away from her, his hands in his pockets.

"Don't think I don't want to be with you.", she spoke again, soft as an angel, "Part of me wants to say YES! And go off with you and have this wild adventure. But someday you'd find that girl that you're going to love. And then I'll just be in your way. I'd be alone again, like you are now. And it would be forever. I wouldn't have my family, I wouldn't have God, and I would never know love. Or, you being as noble as you are, would give that girl up because you'd feel you are obligated to stay with me. You'd eventually hate me for that. And that terrifies me, more than death."

He didn't answer or even turn to look at her.

"Please Edward.", she pleaded, trying to make his eyes turn to her, "Don't hate me, you're the truest friend I ever had. This hurts me too. Don't you know that I'm already falling in love with you? You think it's easy for me to say no to you? It's NOT! I want you…so much. But it's not meant to be."

He turned back to her, looking down into her crying face and hugged her, stroking her long hair.

"Okay.", he said in a deep voice, calming her, "It's alright, please don't cry. I'm sorry."

Grabbing his leather jacket, she sunk her wet face into his sweater, inhaling his delicious smell, so glad he still cared for her, wishing he didn't, it would make it easier for her to leave.

"I'm here and I'll stay here with you, then, to the end.", he promised.

"To the end?" she stopped crying but listened harder, not leaving his arms.

"Yes.", Edward said giving her hair a small kiss, "I won't leave you. I'll be with you. Maybe you'll change your mind, later."

God, she cried harder, why are you doing this to me ?, she asked in her mind, clinging to his sweater.

"What's wrong now?", he tried to read her thoughts but saw only sadness there, all kinds, it was jumbled.

"You can't be with me to the end.", she cried, covering her eyes.

"Why?", he felt hurt all over again, being rejected on all sides here.

"It won't be a happy thing, Edward.", she tried to explain, "I'll lose my hair and be throwing up all the time, screaming and hurting…and I'll fast become something so ugly to you—"

"Never!", he argued with a caring voice, "I'll help you, I'll take care of you!"

"No.", she sobbed, hating to even think about it, her hands pushing him away a bit now, "No I want you to remember me this way, with my long pretty hair and bright eyes. I can't watch your face while you watch me die. I want you to smile when you think of me."

"I WILL!", he tried to hold her closer, "I CARE ABOUT YOU AND I WANT TO BE PART OF YOUR LIFE! You can't just leave me, please, I need you Sammi!"

"Let GO!", she yanked away, running from the bench and jogging to the fence, leaning on it, sobbing harder. She wanted to say yes to him so badly. Was this some kind of sick test from God, now at the end of her life, so close to the end? A get out of jail free card? One last temptation…the biggest of her life.

He sat there, staring at the back of her bouncing body as she wept. She looked so small yet she'd become so big in his life in such a short time that it made his bones ache to see her hurt. _**He**_ was hurting her, like he hurt everything he touched. Once again, his poison was hurting an innocent person. He would forever be alone. Who on earth would want to be with him, even this cute little girl chose death over an eternity with him. Forget it, he said to himself, you're never going to have anyone to care for. Period. Stop trying.

Thinking of not having her around made him want to cry, as much as he hated to admit it. Life would be even darker and emptier now that she had come and was leaving again. What would there be stopping him from lashing out and hurting innocent people? He was finished. It was over.

Slowly, Edward walked over to her, standing close behind, putting his hands into his pockets again, willing them not to grab her as he wanted to. A bad part of him thought for a split second about forcing the gift upon her, making her a vampire now, against her will. But he immediately rejected that idea. He would never do that to anyone. He never got to choose, after receiving his death sentence at the age of 17, and he had never forgiven Carlisle for it. He couldn't bear her looking at him that way. Then he realized the answer for her.

"There is another option.", his voice was empty sounding now.

She didn't respond, still crying a little.

"I can give you to Carlisle Cullen." ,he hated saying the words but knew this might be better for her, not him.

"He would change you, and teach you to live peacefully on animal blood.", Edward informed, "There's family there for you. They also believe in God and you'd be free to worship however you wanted. You could eventually go back to school, college. You could be very happy there Samantha. You would love and be loved in return."

"I know that's a good place and I think you should be there, Edward.", she finally said, the crying almost past her, "You should go home. That's the best place for you to get the help you need. You'll be loved there, you ARE loved there. You need a Mom and Dad, and your brothers and sisters. That's where you belong. Just like I belong with my family, for as long as I can be."

"I'll go if you go with me.", he said in a whisper.

"I can't.", she turned to him, tears strewn over her cheeks, "But you see, you are capable of love. You put me above what you wanted. That's the purest love there is. I am so proud of you. And I do love you, so much."

Her heart might break if he said anything more right now and he felt that too, her mind begged for this conversation to end. He would let it, for her.

"Sammi.", he put his hands on her shoulders.

"What?" she felt afraid he'd say something more to make her cry or to force her to say things that might hurt him even more.

"Can I just…hold you a little while longer?", he asked like a guardian angel.

Smiling up at him, his fingers wiped her tears away, and his arms wrapped around her softly, hiding her little body from view as he closed his eyes, kissing the top of her head. She cried again, for a long time. They just stayed on the bench, silently hanging onto one another, for as long as possible.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger


	18. Chapter 18

18

It was late when they finally got back to Edward's house, but neither of them were tired. They held hands all the way home, not saying much to each other. They both knew their time together was nearly up.

Once inside the house, Edward decided to break the silence.

"Thank you for a wonderful date.", he said with no sarcasm, giving a small smile.

"You're welcome.", she answered, trying to think of something to say.

There was no longer that easy feeling she had when they would talk.

She frowned, saying, "Things are not the same between us anymore, are they?"

"Don't say that, Sammi.", Edward's eyes looked hurt again, "I still feel the same way about you. I'm just…sad. I'm always sad."

"You still want to drink my blood?", she asked, afraid of his answer.

"Even more now.", he gave her the crooked smile, taking her hand and kissing it to his cool lips, "Nothing will change how I feel about you. Don't worry about that."

"Let me lay down.", he said a few minutes later, in front of the fire.

He laid on his back on the floor, raising his head as Sammi put a pillow under his head.

"Comfortable?", she smiled down at him, stroking his hair gently, touching his cheek. She loved touching him.

"Yes.", he licked his lips, taking a deep breath, seeing the vial of blood in her hand.

"Alright.", Edward wanted to tell her some things first, "After I drink this, I might zone out for awhile. I might talk a little. I may seem to fall asleep, it's a little different each time. Don't worry, though, I won't become violent or mean in any way. You'll be perfectly safe. An hour or two after I drink this, I should be back to normal. If not, call the number I wrote on the card, that's Carlisle."

"Too bad.", she seemed disappointed, "I thought I'd get to tie you up this time. You know you've been a very bad boy."

He smiled up at her, seeing her laughing above him, more beautiful that any sun.

"I know.", he agreed, "Maybe afterwards, I'll be as weak as a kitten then, even you could overpower me."

Her face took on a concerned expression then, she was shivering.

"Don't be afraid, Sammi.", he kissed her hand softly, "I'm going to the sweetest place in the world. You. I may be awhile because I like it there so much, but I'll be back. I promise. Alright?"

"Alright.", she agreed, feeling a little better now.

"Stay with me?", he asked, not letting go of her hand. A weakened vampire alone is never a good thing, he thought to himself, but he already knew she'd stay at his side.

"Of course.", she said to him as if he were stupid, "Why would you even have to ask that?"

"I'm stupid, remember?", he grinned.

"Yea.", she agreed too fast, smiling back.

"Okay.", he took a breath, saying, "Let me have it."

His mouth opened slightly as she opened the little vial carefully, kissing his forehead and whispering, "I hope this helps you Edward."

Without another word, she put the little glass vial to his full lips and gently poured the dark liquid inside his mouth. She put the empty vial down on the floor and took both his hands into hers. They squeezed hers a bit hard as the blood trickled down his throat.

"Uhhhhh.", his body arched as his voice sounded like sex was just poured down his throat. The sound made her aroused in two seconds. Stop that, she told herself, behave, Edward needs your help during this.

"Shhhh.", she held onto his hands tighter, feeling his legs tremble, "It's okay…I'm here." His eyes turned a lighter shade of red instantly, looking up at her in a blank, shocked stare.

His breathing was quick, he sounded like he was almost about to orgasm. His eyes were wide open, then closed tight. His mouth panted for a couple minutes, then began to quiet. His legs finally stopped shivering and the beautiful eyes rested, closed, no longer tight or clenched.

In a couple minutes, his lips were smiling peacefully, like a small child's.

He was experiencing her life now, from the beginning. His heart was beating in his chest, or so it seemed, to him. He was being held with so much love, kissed, safe and warm in a hot blanket. A woman's voice was singing gently above him somewhere. He felt protected and loved and fed, no longer thirsty or hungry; his body was drifting off to such a peaceful sleep. He felt human again. And for a blissful moment, he was dreaming in full slumber.

"You are too beautiful to be real.", she whispered, knowing he probably couldn't hear her, but she didn't care, "I love you so much, Edward Cullen."

She wished she could see what he was seeing or know what he was feeling in there. I hope there's nothing really embarrassing in there for him to see, she began to think back over her every moment.

"Bubbles…", he smiled wide, his eyes half closed, feeling hot water, sinking into the millions of pink bubbles…

"Oh God, you're not taking a bubble bath as me when I'm a kid, I hope!", she groaned, she LOVED bubble baths. She was sure that was what he was enjoying now. How am I ever going to be able to look at this guy in the eyes again? She wondered.

"This is so sick.", she commented, wondering what he'd see next, laughing, "Wait 'til he experiences my first period, that'll shut him up."

A knock sounded on the door. She turned her head, seeing the door, but didn't want to leave Edward, he was holding onto her tight.

"Go away.", she muttered under her breath, staring at Edward's still happy face.

A knock pounded again, louder and angrier this time. "Dammit.", she stood up, easing her hands out of his for a second.

"Take your bubble bath, I'll be right back.", she grinned, going to the door.

Just as she was about to open it, it flew open, almost smashing her in the face. The man in the suit and his two employees were there, staring at her, not pleased.

"Get her.", the man in the suit ordered calmly, the other two goons running after her at once.

She screamed, running up the stairs, two at a time, about to reach the top step when a hand grabbed her legs, causing her to fall to the floor, hitting her cheekbone on the wood.

"Bitch." The man in his 20's was on top of her, yanking her up by the hair, holding a hunting knife to her throat, tightly, making a couple little nicks as she tried to struggle at first.

"You were supposed to call first…tomorrow!", she tried to talk her way out of this but they were not hearing anything she had to say. The other man punched her hard in the pit of her stomach. She thought she'd throw up as she went limp in the other man's arms.

"Shut up you little slut.", the one in his late 30's was angry at her now, "Where's your Daddy?"

"Huh?", she was in a daze, still reeling from that punch.

BAM! Again, he belted her right in the stomach, she felt it in her intestines, she coughed hard, the wind knocked out of her. She could hardly breathe.

They let her hit the floor again, on her face as the man in the suit walked around.

"Mr. Cullen?", he called sweetly, "Oh, he's in here."

"Leave him ALONE!" Sammi tried to crawl up on her hands and knees to defend him but a hard kick to the face sent her right down again, dizzy.

"Hey kid.", the man in his 30's slapped Edward's face gently, shaking it a little from side to side, "I think he's high or something. He's breathing, he looks happy enough."

"He is high.", she risked another kick in the face, lying so they'd leave him alone, "He does that all the time after he…has his way with me. He'll wake up in a couple hours if you want to come back."

"No, we'll take care of it now.", the man in the suit decided, "We don't want to make him wait any longer. Because of YOU we look like a bunch of amateurs."

Like it's my fault I couldn't yell, "Hey I have cancer!", while they were beating me and tying me up naked, she thought.

"He might look like a kid, but he's an evil, sick, twisted fuck.", she informed, trying to scare them off, "He'll be so pissed when he sees you took me without him being awake. He'll hurt you."

"He really made an impression on you, didn't he?" the man in the suit didn't look scared.

"Bring the other girls in, take care of this one to come with us.", the man in the suit ordered the other two men.

"Come on, you.", the man in his 20's grabbed Sammi up by her hair, forcing her over the kitchen counter, and put her hands behind her, handcuffing her, saying, "Now I will finally get to fuck you, me and about 100 other guys. You're gonna be a movie star."

"RRRR.", she screamed as he yanked her up, making her walk in front of him. She passed Edward, lying there alone, and almost cried. She'd probably never get to see him again. God, let him be alright, she prayed, she promised to stay there with him and now she had to break that promise.

They brought her out to their car and popped the trunk open, making her get inside, slamming it shut over her head.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger


	19. Chapter 19

19

Edward rolled over, stretching, a big smile spreading across his face. He could swear he felt his own heart beating during that whole experience. He really knew Sammi now, all of her, and he loved her even more than before. He felt completely at peace now, alive.

Running his hands over the black carpet around him, he looked around.

"Sammi?", he looked to his right, nothing, then he looked to the left and felt his heart seize in his chest.

There were two black metal drums standing there, whimpering sounds coming from inside. Upon one of them was a piece of paper taped to it, saying, CULLEN.

He sat up, with round eyes, tearing it off, turning it over.

It read:

_**Mr. Cullen, **_

_**I truly apologize for the inconvenience. Here are your two new girls, they have been checked by a doctor and are 100% healthy. I have taken Samantha as we discussed to be disposed of. **_

_**I hope there are no hard feelings and we hope to do business with you again in the future.**_

"Oh my fucking God, NO!", Edward tried to stand up but the room tilted. What time is it ? he tried to find a clock. He fell back onto the floor with a thud.

He tried again, being more careful this time. Standing on his feet, dizzy, he went to the metal drums, choosing one to open first. He pushed the little metal latch with his thumb. It did not move, or even bend. Harder, he tried to twist it off but it was impossibly tight. Looking down at his hands, they were shaking. He was still a bit weak and would need a crowbar for this now.

"God dammit!", he shouted, running towards the stairs to go down to the basement for a tool to open it with, and he fell again. He crawled the rest of the way, dragging his tingling legs behind him. He got a crowbar from the garage and made the climb back up to the living room, finally standing at the drums again.

SNAP! The latches gave at last as he took the lids off both drums, a scared naked girl inside each one.

"Girls, I don't have time to explain everything now.", Edward needed all his strength to tip the drums to the side, and helping the girls out.

"Come here.", he was out of breath, sweating, motioning to the blonde one. She came forward, towards him, unsure, but listening.

He took a pad of paper from the kitchen and began writing as best he could with shaking hands.

"There are clothes downstairs in the dresser.", he said first, "Use the phone down there to call this number, it's Detective Langston. Tell him to come here and pick you up. I have to go find Sammi. Tell him I'll call him when I know where she is."

"Good girls.", he tapped the blonde's shoulder and grabbed his phone, dialing the number, his eyes going a little blurry as he dialed. He saw the naked girls running down the stairs as he instructed them.

"Number please." The voice answered as usual.

He read off the memorized number, hoping he got it right, then he heard, "Mr. Cullen, how do you like your new girls?"

"Where is Samantha?", he sounded bloodthirsty as he spoke.

"I wrote you a note.", the man said calmly, "I guess you didn't get it. She's been properly disposed of, no worries."

"I sincerely hope that's not true.", he sneered, shaking all over. For _**your**_ sakes, you fuck!, he thought.

"Why?", the man asked, "You said you didn't want her."

"I know you wouldn't just kill her right away.", Edward tried to sound as if he didn't care, "There's no profit in that for you."

"Well, that's nice of you to be so interested.", the man smiled, "We may have a little work for her before she's actually disposed of. Maybe if you like, I'll send you a copy of her new DVD we're shooting."

His eyes were like knives as he gritted through his teeth. If you hurt one hair on her head, he vowed to himself, I'll play with your intestines before I eat them out of you!

"I want to see it live.", he informed, "I'll pay whatever you like."

"She really displeased you, didn't she?", the man sounded intrigued, "Hmm…let me see…"

The man let Edward dangle there for a minute or two before answering.

"WELL?!", Edward punched the counter, and winced at the pain in his hand.

"Twenty thousand.", the man in the suit stated, "Cash. We will come pick you up in an hour." The phone hung up.

See next!

Love WinndSinger


	20. Chapter 20

20

He thought an hour would be enough time to get his body back to normal, but it was still off, Edward realized. Standing here, now, outside the house, waiting, he couldn't smell a thing, not even Sammi's scent that surely must be out here somewhere.

His legs were a little better, he could walk right, but couldn't run very well. He knew this would wear off eventually but he didn't have time to waste now. He needed to be at full strength. She needed him.

The car was coming now, turning into the wooded trail that lead to his house.

The man in the suit got out, along with the one in his 20's, coming over to him.

"Mr. Cullen.", the man in the suit smiled but got ice from Edward's face in return.

No response. Edward wanted to rip his heart out. The look on the kid's face almost chilled the man in the suit, but he looked away.

"Ready to go?", the man in the suit looked confused.

"Have you…", Edward made himself keep calm in his tone, "done anything to her yet?"

"Not much.", the man informed his irate customer, putting an arm around him, "Don't worry, Sir. You'll get to see everything that happens to her. Maybe we'll even let you participate."

Edward wanted to tear the man's arm off at the shoulder and beat his face with it. Soon, he told the demon inside him. Just wait a little longer.

"Swell.", he retorted, handing the large full envelope to the man in the suit.

"And my rules for this venture are as follows.", the man in the suit began, "You will be cuffed and blindfolded on the ride to our location. Upon arrival, you will remain cuffed until half way through our session. Once I am satisfied that no police are coming, you will be released. After the girl is destroyed, you will be cuffed and blindfolded again and brought back here. Any questions?"

"No.", he said coldly.

"Good, gentlemen," the man in the suit motioned to his men. They came over, handcuffs in hand. "Wrists please."

Edward put his hands out, the snap of the cuffs not too tight but firmly in place, in front of him.

A scarf was tied around his eyes, knotted twice in back of his head.

"This way, Mr. Cullen." They lead him to the car, placing him into the back seat. The doors closed and the engine started, bouncing a bit on the dirt road beneath them.

"I do apologize for us coming into your home uninvited.", the man in the suit was in the back seat, at Edward's right hand side, "We saw you were busy so we took care of business ourselves. I hope you don't mind."

"I do mind.", he answered bitterly, not hiding his contempt, "I control who and what leaves my home. I don't like someone doing things behind my back."

"Well, that's one of the reasons I agreed to let you in on our session tonight.", the man replied, "I think that was my mistake, not waiting to consult you on that."

"Who's with her now?", Edward tried to control his rage.

"Who?", the man asked, "Samantha?"

"Yes.", Edward ground his teeth together, hating being in this man's presence without blood being involved.

"She's not alone.", he assured, "I have a few of my people preparing her for tonight."

Preparing her, Edward hated the way that sounded.

"What does that mean?", he had to ask.

"Makeup, costume.", the man sighed, sounding bored, "We almost made a mistake and gave her a shot of something to make her more…agreeable, but then she reminded us that could've killed her, her being diseased you know."

Edward felt his fists clench, almost breaking his skin as they trembled with raw fury. When his full strength came back, his skin would feel like marble again. Come on, strength, come back NOW, he demanded his body silently. We have some assholes to perish.

"I hope you realize there's not a whole lot you can do to her for this movie.", Edward tried to help buy her some more time, "She is very weak and has a lot of issues that make it impossible to do any hard play with her. That's why I was so upset."

"I understand, Mr. Cullen.", the man answered, "We have a few ideas that might work. And of course, the end result will be her death scene, so, what difference does it really make ?"

"Yes.", Edward agreed with an evil sneer, "The death scene will be…very bloody and messy, I'm sure."

The demon inside him cheered, knowing this meant the men's death, not Sammi's. It made him angry, that he'd have to drink these men now, it would poison this feeling Sammi's blood had given him. He would feel dark again, so soon after basking in the light of her soul. He'd lose some of it. He hated that. He hated THEM. Maybe he could just kill them, without drinking. But he knew he wasn't strong enough to resist that either.

After a silent 15 minutes, the car stopped momentarily and the man in his 30's got out of the front seat, opening some kind of large metal garage door. The car drove inside, the door being pulled down behind them, locked by chains and padlock. His hearing was improving, at least, Edward noticed.

The car stopped and the man in the suit beside Edward reached over, pulling the scarf up and off Edward's face.

"We have arrived, Mr. Cullen.", the man informed with a smile, opening his own door and coming around to open Edward's door. He reached for Edward's arm but he rolled his shoulder, silently ridding himself of this man's sleazy touch.

See next chapter

WinndSinger


	21. Chapter 21

21

It was dim inside, a large empty warehouse full of wooden aisles of car parts, engines. It smelled of grease and tar. He didn't see Sammi anywhere but the men were all walking ahead of him, almost invisible as they went through one aisle.

"This way, Mr. Cullen.", the man hung back, waiting for his customer to follow.

He followed, his hands hanging down in their cuffs. Thinking of Sammi being in here made him want to vomit. He knew he'd lose his mind when he finally saw her.

They went through another little door at the end of the aisle, motioning for Edward to keep following. He took a deep breath and went through the door. There was a large, empty room here except for a table covered with all kinds of sick toys, wicked instruments, scissors, knives. There was even a goddamn chainsaw in the corner, being charged in an outlet. Edward made a mental note of that, he pictured himself wielding it, slicing through the man in the suit like a hot knife through butter.

The walls were draped with black velvet material, to make things look nice for the movie. A camera was set up on a tripod, a man standing next to it. There were a few other men there, too, dressed in black leather, spiked collars around their necks, muscular and huge, these were no doubt the actors that would be starring in the movie with her.

"We have a seat for you, here, Mr. Cullen.", the man in the suit led him to a nearby leather sofa, a few feet away from the stage area, out of the camera's view.

"Where is she?", he asked, not seeing her.

"Up.", the man smiled, pointing. Edward's eyes followed, seeing a little black iron birdcage near the top of the ceiling, about 50 feet up, dangling high above them.

"Jesus.", Edward swallowed, not able to see any part of her in the darkness. The worst part was not being able to show his rage and scream her name out. He had to play the part of the asshole for a little longer. He squeezed his fist, still not hard yet. DAMMIT, come on, he begged his body to come back already. But it had enjoyed Sammi's blood too much. It didn't want to become evil vampire again so soon. And Edward needed the demon to arise – NOW.

"Have a seat, son.", the man sat and pulled Edward down to sit beside him.

The young vampire's face turned to the man and sneered, "I am NOT your son."

The man in the suit ignored this and looked to the cameraman.

"Are we going to begin soon?", he asked.

Edward couldn't take his eyes off the little cage so high from the floor. He tried to read her mind to see if she was afraid, but that was blurred also.

Hang on, Sammi, he tried to think to her, knowing it wouldn't work, but he tried to speak to her anyway. I'm here and I won't let them hurt you. I'm so sorry I let them get to you. Dammit, I hate myself, he thought, I promise to protect her and then I zone out, leaving her unprotected. I am a goddamn monster, no better than these guys.

"Yea.", the cameraman said, "You can bring her down and we'll start rolling some footage."

"Great.", the man in the suit smirked, turning to a nervous looking Mr. Cullen.

One of the men in the leather vests hit a button on the wall and a hum sound buzzed, the chain holding the cage slowly winding downwards. Hypnotized by it, Edward couldn't breathe as it came closer and closer to the floor.

Her wrists were through the gaps in the cage in front, shackled with iron that prevented her from pulling her fists inside the cage. Her bare legs were also dangling out through the bars of the cage, her tiny feet shivering; her face hidden as her head rested on the iron cage bars, looking down inside the cage, her long hair shielding her face.

His eyes felt wet as he saw she was almost naked inside, a tiny leather bikini hardly covered her body at all. She was wearing a black leather dog collar too, which only pissed Edward off more. Checking his fist again, it was starting to harden, but not much. In contradiction to his earlier comments, he found himself praying to God.

"Come on kitten.", a man in leather, older in age, about 45 or so, spoke to her gently, unlocking the wrist cuffs, then opening the cage, carefully helping her legs come out of the bars. She didn't seem to fight them and Edward was glad for that. They'd hurt her and he'd have to sit there and watch.

"She put up a big fight when we first got here.", the man in the suit informed Edward, "But it only took a couple of my men to make her quiet down."

"Thank god for the body makeup.", the man went on, "It really covers the bruises nicely, you can't even see them on film."

I think I'll eat him last, Edward decided, just so he can watch the rest die before him. His death will be the nastiest.

A bright spotlight clicked onto her, and she winced, squinting her eyes, seeing only the light and blackness all around it.

Someone had curled her hair and sprayed glitter in it; her face wearing lots of makeup, the black thick eyeliner and brown dark eyeshadow, bright red lips, glitter all over her body and face to match the hair. Her nails were long and red, her toenails painted the same color.

She looked tired and unclear to Edward as the man took her by the arm and brought her to a table covered with the same black velvet drapery.

"It's alright, honey, come up here.", the man spoke to her lovingly, like a pet. Edward was fast hating that man too.

"What did you do to her?", Edward turned to the man next to him, "She looks all foggy."

"She's just tired out.", the man shrugged, "I told you, she's been raging and fighting my people all the way for the last 2 hours."

"You didn't give her any medication of any kind ?" he made sure to ask, "You know she can't take anything."

"Relax, Mr. Cullen.", the man sighed, "Just relax and enjoy the show."

The man in leather tied a rope through the iron wrists cuffs she wore, and tied it through a metal hoop overhead, hoisting her arms up over her head, pulling higher until she cried out, on the very tips of her knees, making her strain.

"Shhhh, easy girl.", the man moved his hand over her half naked ass, touching her body roughly, making her yelp out in protest.

"Don't TOUCH me!". She screeched, tears starting to form around the ends of her eyes.

No, Sammi, don't provoke them, hold on, Edward thought silently, his jaw flexing as he tried to watch with no emotion.

Edward's fingers were starting to tingle a little bit. YES, come on, come on!

"Little kitty has a mouth.", the man in leather smiled, grabbing her long mane of hair, making her head arch backwards, "I have the cure for mouth."

He took a red shiny ball with a leather strap attached to it, placing the ball deep into her mouth, buckling the strap behind her head to hold it in place, gagging her. Her voice groaned in muffled argument.

She was on her knees on the velvet tabletop and the man began to wrap leather rope around her upper thighs, and around a wooden post before her, tightly holding her in place there.

Her whole body trembled, obvious to the naked eye. She half opened her eyes, squinting.

The man at the camera leaned in, looking through his viewfinder as he started rolling now.

"Pretty.", the cameraman commented, zooming into her face, "Open your eyes, honey."

The once gentle man in leather who'd been helping her into her contraption now turned deadly in a half second, grabbing her hair in one hand and making little slaps on her face, as if to awaken her.

"Open your eyes you little bitch." He growled, her scream muffled as her eyes opened in shock, the man laughing, showing her face to the camera.

Edward went to jump up, without thinking but the man in his 30's was there, and shoved him back down into the sofa.

"Be patient, Mr. Cullen." The man in the suit grinned, "Stay out of the line of the camera, you'll get your turn with her, I promised."

Breathing a little harder, Edward was getting angrier. Fists still not ready to attack yet, he didn't know if he could sit here and just watch this anymore. And they hadn't even started yet.

She doesn't even know I'm here, Edward was panicking inside, seeing how alone and frightened she looked.

"Nice green eyes.", the man next to Sammi held her face in his hand, titling it up a bit to show the camera, "That's why I named her kitten. My little kitty. "

"This is for later.", the man in leather began to act for the camera, opening up a black sharpie marker, "Because when we're done, later, we're going to kill our little kitty. So I have to make some marks."

Squinting, Edward wanted his blood NOW. As she cried and shivered, the man was making little dotted lines across the bottom of her throat.

"Don't cry, angel." The man chuckled, "It doesn't hurt that much."

She closed her eyes and two lines of tears ran down her cheeks. Edward was glad it was dark where he was sitting, they couldn't see the red water in his eyes.

Then, the bastard was making dotted lines around her shoulders and around her elbows, around her wrists, then around her torso.

It seemed they were planning to cut her up for the cameras at the end. They were all so dead, Edward flexed his hands…almost ready.

In Edward's mind, he was searching for the demon now. Now when I need you, where the hell are you, you sick beast?! Come on out, come on, get angry, little kitty being tortured out here. You don't want to miss that, do you? A little innocent blood made you run away? That doesn't sound like the Dark Edward I know…I won't stop you. Fresh meat out here…come on, demon Eddie.

After she was all covered with dotted lines, the man at Sammi's side continued, talking to Sammi.

"In the next 12 hours, you will beg for punishment, you will beg for forgiveness, you will beg to please me, and finally, you will beg for death. If you're very good, I may grant some of those wishes.", he said, kissing her neck with his foul lips, biting her flesh there.

A tiny growl began to purr inside Edward's chest. The demon was beginning to sniff around, someone else touching his girl's throat.

"Beg me, slave.", the man looked up at her, "Beg me now for punishment and pain."

""RRRRRR", Sammi screeched angrily, yanking on her already taught arms above her, her hair thrashing wildly in protest.

"You have to take it easy with her.", Edward tried to keep his voice calm to the man in the suit at his side, but failed miserably, "She passes out so easily. If she does, movie's over."

"No, they can just throw some cold water on her.", the man smirked, liking what he was seeing so far, "It's fine, it looks good on film."

Fuck! Edward didn't want her hurt at all, not even a little.

"Let me do it.", he tried this idea, talking to the man at his side again, "I know how she works best. I've already test driven her. I'll pay more."

"Mr. Cullen.", the man laughed out loud, "I think you liked her far more than you let on. This man gets half the session plus killing her. He paid a great deal of money for the honor."

"You disappoint me, kitty.", the man said tenderly, picking up a small red instrument with a point on its end.

"What is that?", Edward asked a little loudly as the man came over to Sammi with it.

"Electrode.", the man informed, "Gives a nice little zap. This will be good."

"Sammi.", he whispered, feeling his legs shiver a bit.

The man moved the instrument over her curves, getting more attitude from Sammi, then a click sound happened, a little flash of light leapt out of the end of the instrument and ---

"RRRRRRRRRRR!!!!", Sammi let out the most horrible scream Edward would ever hear. Her body leapt, hopeless to get free, but quivering with agony. Her eyes were gaping open, in pure hurt, her throat making wounded growls.

"Like that, kitty?", the man smiled, zapping her two more times in a row, on the buttocks.

"NOOOOOO!!!!", she squealed again, crying in sobs of fear as the man circled her, looking to use his toy again. She was already pleading for him to stop, moaning in distress, terrified he would use it again.

"Beg me now.", the man threatened her, stroking his electrode over her flat white stomach, ready to use it again, "Beg me to punish you."

Trembling, she wanted to beg, she did not want the lash of fire that thing brought her. It felt like it was tearing her skin and raw fire burned inside. But she thought of Edward and fought back harder.

She began shouting something angry through her gag, Edward looked down in rage, knowing what would come next.

Another click sound, then a slight buzz . Her voice cried out again, screaming hoarsely. It was heartbreaking to hear, the sobbing.

This is my fault, Edward cursed himself. I just had to drink her blood right then, I had to think only of myself. I told her she'd be perfectly safe. I am a fucking addict, I put blood above her. I laid there, enjoying her blood while they came right in and took her away. I deserve the pain, not her. I deserve the death. I will never touch human blood again, he nearly cried in his brain, I swear to everything I care about. These men WILL die, but I will never drink human blood again.

"Beg for it, kitty.", the man ordered, walking over to the table of assorted instruments, looking for something that would make more of an impact.

Sammi just gasped for air, already suffering greatly. Her eyes tried to focus in the white light blinding her.

"I want to hear you beg, you little pig.", the man picked up a chain whip, smirking and slowly walking behind her.

"Say, I'm a little dying pig.", the man teased, laughing.

Edward's eyes glowed hatred, his breathing more troubled now.

Sammi clenched her eyes and tightened her fists, trying to get strength, trying not to do what the man was ordering her to.

"Taste this.", he sneered, lashing the chains across her bare back with a terrible thud and jingling sound.

"UUUUUHHHHHHH", Sammi's knees buckled instantly and she hung there, her wrists pinching in their cuffs as she limply dangled, her head all the way back as the intense pain grabbed hold of her flesh. Her spine felt broken, throbbing with a dull agony.

THUD. JINGLE. Another hard lash across the little bikini bottoms that were more of a thong. Then another from the front, right hard across her abs. Then an even harder lash across her barely covered breasts.

"NNNNNNN", she sobbed through the gag, her body swinging like a rag doll's, her head hanging backwards.

"Are you ready to beg me, you little pig?", the man asked her, grabbing her hair and bringing her face up towards the camera.

Crying, she nodded in defeat. The man smirked to the man in the suit next to Edward, unbuckling the gag and yanking it out, saliva coming out with it.

"Yuk, look what a nasty thing you are.", the man wiped the saliva over her mouth, grabbing her chin and yanking it, "Alright, you got something to say to me now, piggy?"

She breathed hard, crying, and tried to form words. Edward was dieing inside, searching in haste for Demon Edward. These guys deserved his full wrath.

"I'm---sorry.", she gasped out, Edward clenching his eyes shut for a hard moment, his fists raw.

"No, no.", the man shook his head, "I want to hear you beg me. Say, please Master, please hurt me."

Edward wished he were deaf.

With a low whimper, she breathed, "Please master, hurt me.", tears running from her blind eyes.

GOD DAMN IT YOU FUCKING DEMON ! COME OUT NOW OR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!!, Edward screamed like an animal in his head.

"Say please punish me for being a little diseased pig.", he demanded.

She cried, not wanting to say anything else, but the man frowned, grabbing the little bikini top she wore.

"Do you want to lose this now or later?", he asked, threatening to tear it off.

"No please don't!", she begged, trying to salvage what was left of her modesty, not that it mattered much now.

"Say it.", the man repeated.

Hesitating, she made herself say it, hating herself.

"Please punish me for being a little diseased pig.", she whispered, quivering violently; the man all laughing around her, except one.

"Is this really necessary?", Edward sneered at the man next to him, "This guy is handling her all wrong. Let me step in for just a few minutes."

"You are about to get kicked out, Mr. Cullen.", the man in the suit informed, having a great time with how this man was humiliating her, "You said she can't play hard, so we have to do other things. This is one of them. So hush."

"Good girl.", the man approved, "Don't worry, I will punish you. In so many ways. I promise not to bore you."

Slowly, Edward was hearing Sammi's voice echoing from afar. She wasn't speaking right now, though. It was her thoughts…Edward was getting his mind reading ability in sharper now. He could almost make it out.

She was saying her prayer again, as she was in the trunk of his car that first night. How he wished he could get in there and speak to her.

Flashes of Edward's face were in her mind, smiling, sad, yelling, singing, dancing…every moment they had together, dancing inside her head.

He'll never find me in time…she was thinking, sounding heartbroken, my stupid diseased blood messed him up and now he'll blame himself for this. I hate me. I can't even tell these guys to fuck off, because it hurts so bad. My body hurts so much…I am so weak.

No, Sammi, Edward wanted to tell her, you're a small girl, but you're not weak. You'll never be weak.

"We'll take the bikini off in a little bit and have some intimate footage.", the man beside her said to the man in the suit on the sofa, "First I want to really warm her up a bit with some more anguish. That always makes my blood boil."

The man went back to the table and came up in front of her, his hands both behind his back, smiling at her.

"Pick a hand.", he said.

She glared back at him, still panting slightly.

"What?", she whispered.

"Pick a hand, left or right.", he spoke to her as if she were retarded.

Weakly, she said, "Right."

Edward's eyes closed again, his jaw biting down hard into his teeth.

The man smiled, holding up a plastic stick, clicking it, a small flame popping out at the top. Sammi's eyes went round as she tried to struggle, clearly going nowhere.

"She chose fire.", the man smiled, placing the other item in his left hand down, a knife.

"No please!" she begged as the man came closer with it, he was going to burn her !

"Maybe we'll just burn that bikini off you now.", he teased, grabbing her collar, bringing her breasts down over the little flame.

"OH GOD PLEASE!!", she screamed, terrified, then without thinking she heard herself screeching, "EDWARD!!"

The man in the suit looked over to say something to Mr. Cullen, but he was gone.

"Where the hell did HE go?", the man in the suit asked, looking around.

"Hey kitty.", a deadly voice cooed behind the man in leather with Sammi.

The man with the flamer in his hand spun around towards the voice, but before he could see a thing, something had gripped his wrist like steel and snapped it backwards, breaking it instantly, the flame went out as the lighter fell to the floor. He screamed out in agony, looking up to see the teenage kid there, a broken cuff around each of his wrists, and glowing red eyes, filled with rage.

"Shoot him!", the man in the suit shouted, and his employees whipped out their guns, firing away. Edward leapt out in front of Sammi, shielding her from the gunfire, his arms wrapped around her protectively until the shooting ended.

The men watched Edward let go of the girl and turn towards them, completely unharmed, smiling. He leapt down like a cat, grabbing the little iron cage ,hurling them at the men. He threw the large spotlights at more of them, flinging the camera into the face of the cameraman.

Men flew everywhere, Edward threw whatever was large and nearby. The man in the suit ran out of the room and into the warehouse like a little rat abandoning ship.

With a single toss, Edward threw one of the guns at the man before he could get away, knocking him out instantly. Only one of them was conscious right now, the one in leather who had been torturing Sammi. Edward was hanging on a chain in the air, making sure they all were still and not moving. They were all out, but not dead yet. Good. Plenty of time to drink in a few minutes. Now to have a little fun with this leather clad man.

Edward landed on the ground like a cougar about to strike in front of the man in leather, smiling wickedly.

The man tried to run but Edward didn't try to chase him; instead he grabbed a rope and began tying it into a noose, knowing the door out was blocked by the leather sofa against it. The man could not move it, he was trapped.

Edward turned, lassoing the noose around the man's neck, reeling him in; tossing the other end over the bars above, making the man get up on his tiptoes, securing the rope tightly.

"I really liked some of those things you did there.", Edward grinned, "How very manly of you to hurt a little girl all chained up. I liked it so much I thought I'd try it myself…with you, if you don't mind. Don't worry, I promise not to bore you."

The man was slowly choking in his tight noose, but the rest of him was free. He tried to grab at the rope around his neck, but it was no use. Edward knew how to tie very good knots.

"Jesus, kid.", the man grunted, looking angry, "What the hell's with you?"

"Beg for punishment and pain.", Edward's voice was not like his normal one. This was a hissing animal, the demon.

Sammi's eyes saw him and went round for a moment, but she didn't move.

Picking up the lighter, Edward flicked it on, grabbing the man's right hand, already broken. He held the man's hand still, placing the flame right into the center of his palm. The peach skin began to blacken as the man howled in agony, begging for mercy.

"SHIT ! PLEASE STOP, PLEASE!!", the man squealed.

Picking up the electrode, he turned it all the way up and started poking the man in leather with it cruelly, making him scream and jerk.

"Aww, don't cry angel." he sneered at the man, "It doesn't hurt THAT much." With that, he jammed the end of the electrode into the man's upper thigh, hearing his blood curdling screams as he turned the electrode on, paralyzing the man's leg forever.

With a wicked cold laugh, Edward decided it wasn't enough. He walked over to the table at his side, making his hand dance over the horrid little instruments there…

"So many nice things you have here…how to choose?" Edward almost sang the words.

"Hmmm.", Edward tilted his head, "I like this."

His hand picked up the chainsaw with ease, starting it up. The revving sound of its engine was so thrilling and the gas smell so exhilarating…he had to share this with his new friend in leather.

"Oh GOD PLEASE!!", the man begged like a little bitch now, "PLEASE KID, LISTEN! I didn't hurt the girl that much, just let me go, please!"

"Edward !", Sammi looked equally as scared, but he didn't seem to hear her voice over the roar of the engine.

"Tell me what a diseased pig YOU are.", Edward waited, frowning at the man on his knees before him.

"PLEASE KID !", the man wept.

"Pick a hand. Left…or right.", Edward sneered, slicing the man's broken and burned hand off cleanly at the wrist with the chainsaw, blood flying everywhere. The man's voice shook the walls with is torment.

"Say it.", Edward toyed with him, smiling, "I want to hear you say it."

"I'm a diseased pig, I'm a diseased pig!", he blubbered, grabbing his gushing arm with the other, crying.

"Better, but you don't sound like you mean it.", Edward tilted his head, trying to decide what to slice off next.

"Edward, DON'T !", Sammi was shaking. She hardly recognized him now.

"PLEASE EDWARD!", she begged, "Just get me out of these, please! Please ?! It HURTS !"

She was begging him now. That made part of good Edward come back, turning off the chainsaw, putting it down, and rushing over to her to release her.

"I'm here.", he said, his normal voice speaking now, he leapt to the tabletop in one jump, his feet on the velvet, "Hold on, sweetie, don't move."

"Okay.", she felt her body shake all over, in relief that he was getting her out. She thought she was going to die, after a long horrible 12 hours of misery. In her heart, she scolded herself for not knowing Edward would come to save her.

Gently, so he wouldn't hurt her, he broke open the iron wrist cuffs, making sure the jagged metal pieces didn't cut her skin. He caught her body before it had a chance to fall down on the tabletop.

"God, thank you Edward, thank you…I thought they were broken.", she breathed, the pain in her wrists unbearable, until Edward began massaging them with his cold fingers, kissing her hands softly.

"You're like ice.", Edward told her for a change, feeling her shoulders, yanking off his jacket and putting it on her, fastening the buttons like a parent.

"Are you alright?", he almost wept, touching her hair, "I'm so sorry. I should've protected you. Please just promise you'll try to forgive me."

"Edward, look out!", she screamed suddenly, but the vampire knew he was coming. The man with one hand lunged at Edward's back with a hunting knife.

The knife did make contact with Edward's back, but the blade splintered into a thousand little pieces. And then Edward turned to him, standing on the table, glaring down at him with hell's eyes.

"Did you not get enough?", Edward smiled, glad to have an excuse to finish him off.

"Edward no!", she tried to reach out and touch him but he was too far away, mentally and physically.

"What the hell are you?", the man realized now Edward was no kid.

"I'm YOUR Master now.", Edward leapt off the table, walking towards the man slowly, like a panther cornering its prey, "And I'm really disappointed in you, slave."

"Kid, listen…", the man tried to think of something to say to save his hide.

Edward looked down, seeing something that caught his eye, bending down to pick it up.

"You can have the girl, alright?", the man offered, "She's yours."

"She's really not yours to give, PIG.", Edward informed, taking the chain whip into his hand.

Okay, Edward, if you want to beat him with that a little, I guess it's okay, Sammi thought, making Edward grin more.

"Let me show you how to use this thing correctly.", Edward sneered, and began pummeling the man with the chains. Edward knew he was breaking bones, pulverizing muscle with each blow, but he didn't care.

His speed was such that Sammi only saw a blur. The man laid there dangling from the noose, bloodied and beaten to a pulp, unconscious, about to suffocate to death from the weight of him pulling the noose tighter around his neck.

"Good night you fuck!", Edward was about to finish him off, lifting the whip over the man's head for one last shot.

"NO EDWARD DON'T!!" Sammi screeched suddenly, making him freeze for a moment, looking at her in confusion.

"Please don't kill anymore, Edward, please?", Sammi pleaded, her hands together, as if praying to him not to do it, then curled into little fists.

"It's not for his sake, it's for yours.", she stared into his eyes, "Don't let yourself turn into this thing anymore. It's not you. It's scary. It's…a monster."

"He hurt you.", Edward stated simply, not looking away from her.

"I know.", she shuddered, remembering, "But this won't make me feel any better. It would really hurt me to see you kill him."

Edward didn't say a word, he looked back at the man on the floor, thinking about it, still holding the bloody chain whip.

"Please forgive them.", she quoted Jesus, "For they know not what they do."

"They know.", Edward sneered, not believing it, about to raise the whip again.

"Edward, please?", she almost cried, "If my blood is in there, then you'll know why it's not right to do it. You're far too beautiful to be one of THEM."

Closing his eyes in slight defiance, he took a breath. He wanted to kill this guy, and all the rest of them in the warehouse here somewhere. But he knew in his heart she was right. He had her blood inside him now. He understood her, like it or not.

The whip hit the floor with a jingling sound. Edward broke the rope with his hand, letting the man fall to the ground, still alive.

She closed her eyes and smiled, letting air out of her mouth now.

He turned to her, feeling weak now, and cheated out of avenging her. But she smiled at him with such love, he soon forgot that feeling.

"My Edward.", she beamed, "Come give me a big Cullen hug."

Smiling back at her, he rushed over, holding her as tight as he could without crushing her. He picked her up into his arms, carrying her off the table and out of the room.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger


	22. Chapter 22

22

"Is it too hot?", Edward asked later, back at his house, watching her sink into the hot tub in his bathroom. She wore a little t-shirt tied up into a halter style and a pair of shorts, since there was no bathing suit here for her.

"Ohhhh noooo.", she smiled big as the hot soapy bubbles surrounded her, "It's soooo perfect. This is just what my poor butt and back needed."

Leaning on the edge, on the outside of the hot tub, Edward smiled in a little relief, swallowing, looking down into the water. He had no shirt on, only a pair of black shorts; his arms hypnotized Sammi's eyes against her will. He rested his chin on his arms, inhaling the steamy scent of her in the water.

"Sammi.", he was about to begin his speech again but she stopped him.

"Edward.", Sammi frowned, "I know I taught you how to apologize, but if you apologize one more time, I'm going to drown you right here in this hot tub. You have mastered the apology thing. I hereby graduate you from Apologies 101, with an A+."

"But it's all my fault.", he looked up, ashamed to meet her eyes, "I almost got you raped…and killed."

"Old news.", she splashed him playfully, "Come in here with me, you said you would."

He looked so confused. She almost laughed. Then he silently climbed in next to her, feeling the vibrations of the hot water and he felt a little more at ease.

"I saw you were liking the bubble baths when you were…experiencing me.", Sammi smiled.

"Yes.", Edward smiled, and picked up a clean washcloth, dipping it into the water, getting some good soap on it, "I had a wonderful time in there. Your life is anything but boring, Sammi. You have done so much good for other people, why didn't you tell me about it?"

He carefully lifted her chin up, gently washing the shit off her face those men had colored on. He was still pissed off at them, wishing they were dead now, instead of in the hospital, handcuffed to their beds awaiting trial.

"I hate talking about me.", she blushed a little, closing her eyes and letting him clean her up, "I have no time to toot my own horn."

"I can't believe you think you still need to make some mark in the world.", he kept soaping her face, staring at one spot in determination, "You've already done that, so many times."

Smiling, she winced a little. Edward stopped, looking at her.

"Something hurts, what?", he looked so concerned again.

She laughed a little, "You've already examined me five times, Dr. Cullen. No broken bones, no fractures…just a few bruises and bumps. They'll heal. Actually, I like the marks. It shows me how tough I really am after all. I took their beatings and I'm still here. Thanks to you."

Edward looked a little strange now.

"What?" she asked.

"The bruises and bumps will be gone in a couple hours.", he looked apologetic again, "I hope you didn't want them for a long time."

"You found a way to erase my bruises in a couple hours?" she raised a brow, suspicious.

His crooked smile looked nervous. "Yes."

"How?"

"This tub has two drops of my blood in it.", Edward hoped she wouldn't get mad, "That will heal all your pain and your marks. It won't hurt you in any way. I'm sorry."

Giggling, she was amazed. "You're sorry that you're healing all my pain? You bastard, how dare you!" she teased, in sarcasm.

"You're not mad?", he squinted, afraid.

"I'm not mad.", she grinned, "Silly Edward."

A vampire bath, Sammi grinned, if her father only knew what she'd been up to these last couple of days…she decided not to tell him…anything.

"Owww.", Edward wiped makeup off her cheek and saw a big welt there, holding the wet soapy cloth over it for a moment, letting the water soak into it. Those god damned bastards, Edward growled in his head, maybe there was still time to kill them now after all. They were sitting ducks in the hospital.

"That looks like it hurts.",Edward's eyes were filled with sorrow again.

Before deciding to do it, he felt his lips close over the wet bump, resting there for a full second or two.

"Not anymore.", she trembled a little, daring to look right into his dark red eyes. That one she'd gotten by telling those men to leave Edward alone as he laid still on the floor. She was proud of that bump.

"Let me clean you up.", Edward tried to get back to business, soaping up his hand towel again, smiling, "You know I love everything nice and clean."

"I know." She smiled, "Neat freak Cullen."

Closing her eyes, she felt him move her head back a bit, his fingers ran through her curled, glittered hair, wetting it into the hot water. He couldn't wait to shampoo her in a few minutes.

"Your parents are coming tomorrow morning.", Edward finally made himself tell her the sad news, "Detective Langston called them earlier."

"Oh.", she clenched her eyes tighter as he rubbed a little harder around her raccoon eyes, trying to get it all off.

She could tell he hated seeing the dotted lines and heavy makeup all over her, it reminded him of how long they'd had their hands on her and she thought he was hiding his rage very well indeed. She knew he wanted to kill those guys, but instead he was here, taking care of her.

He would be alright, she knew then, he would get over this addiction, in time. She knew, though, that he would need help doing it. Nobody can make it all alone. She prayed for him to call his father and go home. If she wasn't about to get sick again, for the last time, she would have stayed with him to help him get through it all, every step of the way.

But, sadly, her time was almost up. She would have her own pain and struggling to go through soon, he could never get clean while watching her go under. It would be like two drowning people beside each other in the ocean. She couldn't hold him up above water, and he couldn't save her, either. They'd both drown. He didn't deserve that. He deserves to be happy and be a teenager, for once in his life. He deserves to be happy and light, like she usually was. She wished she could be there to see that.

There was a lot he wanted to say and ask her, but he decided she'd been through enough hell for one night. He would have some time in the morning before her parents arrived. He promised himself not to yell and get upset, no matter what the outcome.

His fingers turned her back towards him, massaging the bruised muscles there. She didn't stop him, either, when he kissed every bruise, every little scratch and welt. He felt her heart flutter as he worked the skin with his hands, and watched the bruises fade away slowly.

He had full control of himself now, every time he felt he wanted to taste her blood, he heard her screams in his head, and saw her eyes when that chain whip struck her spine. He was done drinking human blood and he knew it. Later tonight, he would go into the woods and get a deer, he decided.

Once she was all cleaned up and stepped out of the tub, free of all marks and bruises, she put a new t-shirt and sweatpants on and came to the living room. The fire blazed away in the darkness and the mattress was still there, waiting, with her best friend sitting there waiting for her.

"How will I ever be able to sleep alone in my bed at home now?", she asked softly, getting under the covers; his hands helping tuck her in.

Edward didn't answer that. He was writing in his journal again, looking sad.

"What are you writing?", Sammi asked, "Is it okay if I ask?"

"Yes.", he grinned, looking at her, "I was just crossing something off my list."

"You made a list?", she sat up, smiling more.

"Yea.", he admitted, "A short one."

She didn't want to pry about what was on the list, although she was dieing to know.

"What one did you cross off?", she asked, she had to know at least that one.

"To love someone.", he said simply, not looking at her.

She felt her stomach sink, tears came to her eyes. Without a word, she reached up, pulling his face down to her lips and kissed his cheek, touching his face, and laying her head on his chest.

"Will you tell me one of your poems now?", she asked, loving it when he recited them.

"One of MY poems?", Edward asked with a chuckle, "I've never written a poem in my life…or afterlife."

"You know what I mean.", she rubbed her eyes, tired, "Just tell me a nice one to fall asleep to. I love your voice. It relaxes me."

"Okay.", he kissed her head, stroking her clean hair, "Lay your little head down."

She beamed and laid her head on her pillow on his lap.

Clearing his throat, he chose one.

"How shall I hold my soul?

That it may not be touching yours?" he began with a soft sad voice, stroking her hair.

"How shall I lift it, then

Above you to where other things are waiting?  
Gladly, for you, would I lodge it, all forgot,  
With some lost thing the dark is isolating  
On some remote and silent spot that, when  
Your depths vibrate, is not itself vibrating.

You and me - all that lights upon us, though,  
Brings us together like a fiddle-bow  
Drawing one voice from two strings it glides along.  
Across what instrument have we been spanned?  
And what violinist holds us in his hand?  
O sweetest song."

He finished and Sammi pretended to be asleep. But they both knew she was awake. A silent tear escaped her eye, running down her nose and soaking into her pillow as she closed her eyes.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger

Thanks you guys for the great reviews! I hope you like the end, very sad stuff coming up. Sorry!!


	23. Chapter 23

23

Edward walked with Samantha the next morning in the woods, smiling now as she danced around, the same little pixie she was before. She should have little green wings, he thought, smiling while she picked a little daisy from the ground.

"Well,you did it.", Edward walked over to her, smiling, "You saved those girls. You caught the bad guys. You've made your mark…again."

"I was so scared.", she gushed, still thrilling from the fight the night before, "You were so magnificent, saving me the way you did. And you didn't kill. You controlled it. You are a real hero. And a wonderful man."

She hopped up on a log, getting a nice view of the lake in the distance. The sky was half gray, half sun. Just like her and him, Edward thought with a grin.

"I have a good teacher.", he smiled, sitting next to her on the log.

For a second, neither knew what to say to the other.

"Your parents are on their way.", Edward informed, able to read their minds in the short distance, "They can't wait to see you again."

"I miss them.", she said simply, taking a peek at his face of stone. He looked so rigid, so tense. The hurt in his eyes from last night was hidden behind a strong brick wall now. But she wanted to see the sweet Edward she had come to love so much.

"I'll miss you Edward.", she made herself say, her voice breaking. His frozen heart melted in a fraction of a second at hearing it.

Now wearing the sad, soft eyes he looked down at her, a small smile he painted on, saying, "I'll miss you too Samantha. You have no idea how much."

A little whimper escaped her lips, this was killing her. Edward didn't want her to cry, so he was prepared to make her smile instead.

"Well, you survived three whole nights in a vampire's castle, so you win the grand prize, Samantha Stewart.", he announced with a grin, taking a little gift wrapped box out of his jacket pocket, tossing it to her. She caught it, to his surprise. It was covered with red shiny wrapping paper and a white bow on top.

"Oh no, what did you do Edward?", she smiled big, looking at the box.

"I like to shop online, what can I say?", he shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets, watching her.

"I love presents.", she informed.

"I know. Open it already.", he rushed her, smiling at her child eyes.

"Okay.", she ripped it open like a wild cat scratching all the paper off, letting the wind fly it away. Edward muttered something about pollution or the environment as the paper hit the forest floor.

It was a black velvet box and she almost died, thinking it might be some kind of engagement ring or something. She couldn't take that.

"Don't be scared, just open it.", he read her thoughts, waiting.

"Edward.", she breathed, opening it slowly. It was a beautiful little diamond cross, a necklace. It had a silver chain around it. The size was perfect, not too big, not too small. She adored it. It sparkled in the sun, little rainbows coming off it.

"Oh Edward!", she squealed, getting a bigger smile from the gift giver, "I LOVE this! It's so beautiful! But I thought you didn't believe in God."

"Well, I have to, now that I've seen proof.", he helped open it, putting it around her neck, adding, "Now that I've seen YOU. Only someone with all the magic in the world could've made something so flawless."

He leaned in to kiss her but she hugged him first, so tight. Hugging her back, he waited until she let go first. She was afraid to let him kiss her. It would make her want to stay. She DID want to stay. She let go, too soon for Edward's taste, and smiled up at him, putting her daisy in his hair, tucked on top of his ear.

"Thanks.", Edward chuckled, taking it out, "I'll hold it, okay?"

"Macho.", she tapped his arm, smirking.

Taking out a pen from his jacket pocket, Edward took her tiny hand into his and started to write on her palm. And she just got all cleaned up, too, he thought, oh well.

"What are you doing?", she laughed, it tickled.

"I have never done this in my life.", he chuckled, "I'm giving you my phone number. How teenage is THAT?"

"Very.", she agreed, "But I like that."

"I know.", he finished, handing the pen to her. She liked having his name and handwriting on her skin.

"You want mine now?", she asked, guessing.

"Nope.", he said, "I already know it." And he tapped his head with a wicked grin.

"Cheater.", she giggled.

With a breath as the laughter died down, he asked, "You aren't going to call me, are you?" And again, he was in Carlisle's shoes, on the day his son left, and asking Edward if he would ever hear from his son again. And the same answer came.

"I don't know.", she said solemnly, then hated that she said that. She didn't want him to waiting around for a call that would never come. She wanted to be honest with him, like he had been with her.

"I don't think so Edward.", she said sadly.

"Why?", he asked, probably already guessing the answer.

"If I call you and hang out with you for much longer," she said honestly, "I will fall in love with you. And you might try to make yourself love me back. I would get sick and see your eyes grow even sadder while they watch me deteriorate. I would die holding your hand, knowing I'm leaving you alone again. It would be so hard that you would go back to human blood, you would never get free of it. I would die with a broken heart. I'm not as strong as you, Edward. I couldn't bear that. Even being in heaven wouldn't make me happy then. I wouldn't want to fly at all, even though I'd have the wings. When I close my eyes, I want to see your smile, not those sad eyes."

He closed his eyes, hating this, knowing she was right as usual. For a moment, he believed in God, but hated him, jealous of him.

"Speaking of wings.", Edward began to remove his jacket as she looked at him, smiling now.

"Are you getting naked for me?", she laughed, teasing him.

"I did this last night.", he pulled up his short t-shirt sleeve, on the back of his right shoulder was a dove flying up to heaven, clouds and sunlight shining upon the bird as she rose. There was a small 'S' beneath the dove for her name.

"Wow.", she cooed, smiling from ear to ear, "Edward! That's so beautiful!"

"Of course it is. It's you.", he said, his red eyes blazing into hers, "And also, for me. To remember that my wings will fly someday. And to let you know that you have also made your mark. On me."

This wonderful smile spread across her lips and the picture would forever stay inside Edward's memory. No girl had looked at him before with such a love. Call it what you want, friend love or romantic love, it was love. She did love him. And that was enough for him after all these years. Suddenly, he felt human.

"I love you Edward.", she held him, so small she was against his chest as he put his big arms around her, hiding her from view inside his embrace.

"I love you too Samantha.", he could say without lying. Maybe it wasn't the passionate fires of romantic love, but if she needed him to, he knew he'd die for her. It felt so great, however briefly it would last. But he was able to feel something, and that made his soul cry in joy. He loved someone…and she loved him in return.

"Please promise me" she said into his shirt, "Don't come see me when I'm sick. I'll be so ugly. I don't want you to see me that way."

"You could never be ugly Sammi.", he said softly, holding her tighter, kissing her head.

"Please?" she almost begged.

After a long breath, he said, "I promise."

There better be a God, Edward sneered silently at the heavens above, if this girl dies and there's not the most fantastic paradise waiting for her, I'll find you, God. And I'll tear you up.

"If you change your mind.", Edward said again, "Or even if you just want to talk, just call me and I'll be there. Even if you lose my number, just call my name. I'll hear you. You're part of me now, after the blood you gave me. No matter where you are, I'll always know if you're alright. Promise?"

"I'm afraid I might think about it.", she looked at him again, smiling, "When the pain gets to be too much. I'll think of you all the time, if that's okay."

"That's okay.", he smiled, "I'll think of you, too. I wish I could've gotten you something better than just a necklace, though, to remember me by."

"Are you kidding me?", she asked, "You've given me everything. You've given me the strength to get through what's coming next."

"My offer is always open to you.", he assured, "Please think about it, seriously."

"If all vampires were like you," she touched the little dent in his chin, "I'd say yes in a minute. It's too bad things worked out like this. I would've LOVED to love you."

His eyes weakened and he would've cried if he were able to. He wanted to beg her to let him change her, he'd have gotten on his knees if that would've worked. But he had heard her reasons and he could read her thoughts and heart. She would not call him. She would want to, but she would resist. She would let herself die, family all around her, fighting the brave fight. Letting her last breath belong to God as her prayer said. If God could love her more than I can, Edward thought, then he would lay Samantha lovingly and carefully into the Lord's arms. Take care of her, he demanded God in his head, or I'll find you. And you will know what Hell really is.

"Me too.", was all he could utter, his voice was drying up, "You'd have made a stunning vampire."

"I'll have to try that for Halloween this year." She laughed.

"Will you be alright Edward?", she asked, concerned for him always, "I feel so bad, leaving you like this."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me.", he didn't want her to have the extra burden of his future on her mind, "I am going to stop hiding in the dark and looking for some things to believe in again. I'm breaking out of my little cell and I'm going to start walking around, looking at people again. Maybe, if there's you, there is something worthwhile in the human race."

"That's nice.", she giggled, thinking for a moment he was being sarcastic.

"I mean it.", he said, a firm tone in his voice as he stared into her eyes.

"I know you do.", she beamed back at him, "I can feel a difference in you. I SEE it in your eyes. I believe in you Edward."

"I believe in you too Sammi.", he tried to smile, knowing the time with her was nearly over. He could hear her parents close by, thinking of her, wanting her, loving her.

"Hey look at the bright side.", she said, hopping up onto her feet, graceful as ever, "Soon you'll have a friend in heaven. I'll find your girl and send her to you and I'll tell God all about you."

Too bad she didn't believe in reincarnation. She could be born again into the body of a healthy girl and find Edward again, and maybe have another chance. (maybe that's exactly what's going to happen. hint, hint, hint… lol)

"Oh that'll be lovely.", he snickered, smiling at her as the wind blew all around her hair, "They might kick you out for associating with monsters."

"You're not a monster.", she said, doing another twirl, "I'll put in a good word for you with God. SHE will understand. She'll love you almost as much as I do. But not quite. You are forgiven, Edward. God always forgives. No matter what you've done. You can start all over now, with a clean slate."

He stood up, watching the wind circle again, around her, adoring her.

"Can I twirl with you?", he asked, feeling stupid but knowing she'd like it.

"Really ?! YES!", she jumped up and down, clapping, taking his hands and swirling around with him. The wind joined in for a moment, but then, in a second, it was gone. A car door slammed a few yards away.

"My Dad's here!", she stopped spinning and saw the car pulling up, escorted there by Detective Langston's Buick.

"DADDY!", she squealed, running away from Edward like a bullet.

The sun was about to break through some parting clouds overhead, it was already shining over the parking cars in the clearing. She was a fast little thing, he thought. His mind panicked, she was running away and he couldn't follow her. She'd leave without him getting to say goodbye.

"SAMMI – RED!", he shouted to stop her, using her color code word.

She halted at once, and spun around.

"Come on, Edward!", she put her hand out, "Come meet my parents!"

"Can't.", he shook his head slowly, pointing up, "Sun." Not to mention his bright red eyes.

"Ohhh.", she whined, realizing, looking up at the sky.

_She just forgot that I'm a vampire_, he told himself, and his heart loved her even more in that moment.

"It's okay, go ahead.", he hated saying it, but she looked so torn.

"No.", she ran back, leaping up into his arms one more time. He held her gently, her little feet off the ground. The wind flew around them like magic, leaves all around them. He gave her a little spin, then stopped, holding her for the last time. He didn't want to ever let her go. Let them all wait for 1000 years, he didn't care.

He closed his eyes, inhaling her hair that was half covering his face. She was lemons and oranges and everything fresh and green and good. He wanted it. He didn't want to lose it.

"Can I have your scarf?", he asked in her ear.

She looked at him, a little strangely, then laughed, taking it off and putting it around his neck, fixing his beautiful hair and touching his face, as if smoothing him out. He was glad. He would always have her scent now.

"Thank you.", he smiled down at her, and took her face in his hands, placing a small kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and when he looked at her, her eyes were wet but not crying yet.

"Goodbye, my beautiful angel.", she hugged herself to him one last time, making herself back away, and added, "Be happy."

Before he could say anything back, she ran away from him, for good this time. She sprinted towards her parents, towards life, back towards God. He did not belong. He had never felt more alone than in that moment.

Her parents hugged her with passion as he backed away, retreating into the gray shadows of the trees. Hurrying, he went into his house, closing and locking the door behind him, not wanting to meet the parents or even see Detective Langston. All was dark inside, like a cave, as usual.

"Let's go home.", Edward could hear Samantha's father all the way from inside, his vampire hearing flawless. He hurried up the stairs to his picture window, knowing he could see the cars from that side.

"Okay Daddy.", she answered as he could see her now, so far away, she looked like a small dot in the distance.

"Pizza tonight?", her mother asked, smiling as she got into her seat in the car.

"Okay.", Sammi tried to sound happy and light, but her voice was hollow. She was looking out the car window, not seeing him. He frowned at her parents. Classic. She nearly gets killed and they're giving her a pizza. He wanted to hurt them. Besides, he had already given her pizza two nights ago.

The engine started in their car and Edward let his forehead hit the glass with a thud, his empty, angry eyes fixed on the tan station wagon she was leaving in.

Please, Sammi, get out of the car, he begged mentally, Come back, run back to me and say you've changed your mind. PLEASE! I can't stand being here alone anymore! I want to talk to you! I want to dance with you ! I want to sing to you. I want to love you. Please teach me how. I'm so sorry I couldn't give you that. Just let me try one more time to be what you want.

But the car began to pull away, slowly, taking her out of his life. His fist laid on the glass, wishing he could smash it but controlling himself, as she had taught him to.

"Are you buckled in, Sammi?", her father's voice asked.

"Uh huh." Her voice broke, and Edward could hear her cry quietly in the back seat, undetected by her parents in the front. He bit down in his teeth, resisting the urge to run to the car and tear her door off, snatching her away and making her his right there.

His eyes kept on the moving blur until it was completely out of sight. For 100 years it seemed he stood there, looking, seeing nothing but an empty forest. That was his heart now. Was that his last and only chance to love someone? Would he break his promise and go to that hospital in a couple months, begging her to let him turn her? How could he stay away while she laid in the hospital, dieing, while he could hear her heartbeat slowing until it finally came to an end? Why did he promise her that?

One thing was certain. He had to stop doing what he was doing. He had to change his life and start over again. He had to be a better man, for her. He would not let her down, after all she went through for him. He wanted her to look down upon him someday and feel proud she was his friend. Swallowing, he made himself move away from the window.

He walked to every room, pulling off the curtains on every window in the place, letting the light inside. The heat of the sun touched him like a giant hand, like his mother's hands. He had to admit he liked it.

Going back into the living room, he picked up the phone and took a deep breath, clenching his jaw for a moment then dialed the number.

Two rings. Then, "Dr. Cullen's office."

He cleared his throat tensely, not able to speak at first. It had been a long time since he'd heard his father's voice. He had missed it as much as Sammi had missed her father.

"Dad?", he made himself say, his voice cracking a bit. His fist grabbed the phone cord, praying Carlisle didn't hang up on him.

"Edward!", he nearly shouted back, but it sounded glad, not angry. Carlisle is far too good for me, Edward thought instantly.

"Yea.", he said weakly.

"Are you alright?", the concerned father's voice oozed into his ear.

"Not really.", he croaked.

There was a small pause. Edward looked up at the ceiling, his eyes a bit wet and red. He knew he was going to sound like a total weakling, a pathetic teenager, but he could only ask one burning question, one he had wanted to ask for ten years.

"Dad," he shivered, "Can I please come home?"

"Always.", Carlisle said without hesitation.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger

PS I almost had the idea that Sammi could die and be reborn inside Bella's body. I liked the idea of that, but didn't really go all the way with it. But I just wanted to share that little thing with you guys. LOL…who knows? Maybe Sammi's spirit is inside Bella, it's just too bad for Sammi that Bella's feet are not that coordinated, she'd twirl and fall on her little butt!! LOL !


	24. Chapter 24

24

-----------Eight months later ----------

"Edward, would you please hold still?", Alice complained, "This is how guys are doing it now."

"No!", he flinched, she poked him in the eye with the red pencil, "Men DO NOT WEAR EYELINER and mascara!"

"They do NOW!", she informed, "Just watch MTV once in awhile!"

"OWWW", he rubbed his eye, the makeup stinging it now.

"Alright, I think I have enough of it on you now.", she muttered, taking out another plastic tube, opening it.

"What's that now?", he flinched, trying to see it.

"Lip gloss.", she informed, forcing his chin up, "Hold still and open your mouth a little."

"EMMETT!!", Edward roared, knocking Alice over and running as fast as he could to the other end of the house, in a corner now as she pursued him.

"BACK!", Edward made a cross with his fingers, trying to keep Alice away.

"What's your problem, Edwina?", Emmett came in, laughing right away at Edward's eyes, "You look like a Vegas whore."

"Hey!", Alice slapped Emmett on the back of the head, "He does not! He looks SO CUTE !! But you need lip gloss now."

"OWWWWW!", a little girl's squeal tore through the noise of Alice and Emmett, freezing Edward cold instantly. He could hear her crying.

"It's alright, Sammi.", a male voice tried to soothe her, "Try to relax. I know it hurts."

"Edward, just let me finish this and you'll see it looks good.", Alice compromised, but he wasn't listening.

"Dr. Bryant.", an older woman's voice sounded distraught but controlled, Sammi's mother, Edward recognized her voice. "Her pain is getting worse, I want her to have more painkillers or something, NOW. I don't want her suffering like this."

"No.", Sammi said in a weak little voice, sounding exhausted, "No, no more painkillers…just let me lay here, Mom."

"Edward, your face is green.", Emmett started to laugh but then stopped, seeing something was very wrong with him, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"SHUT UP!", he roared, trying to listen to more of what he was hearing.

He shut out images, he had promised Sammi he would not let himself see her sick, but he could still hear it all.

The doctor was talking to the parents out in the hallway, away from Sammi. "I will order more medicine to ease your daughter's discomfort. It should be over soon. No sense in having her in all this pain."

"She doesn't seem to want it, though.", her father said, confused, "It's like, she's hanging on, maybe she still has a chance."

"Her will is very strong, but her body is failing, I'm sorry.", the doctor informed, coldly, "It may be just a matter of hours now."

"I have to go.", Edward moved away from the corner, seeing a reflection of his face in the mirror as he passed. He came back to it fast, looking at his made up eyes.

"ALICE!", he roared, wiping it off as best he could, "I don't have time for this!"

"What is it, Edward?", she reached to touch his shoulder but he flinched her off angrily, going to his room to grab his guitar, slinging it onto his back, and then running out to the garage, getting on his Harley and jumping down to start the engine with his boot.

In a flash, he was gone, racing at top speed.

"Nice going Alice.", Emmett blamed her, walking away.

He was inside her mind now, as he flew down the highway on his motorcycle, moving around cars in his way.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you that, we're only human after all.", he heard himself singing that song to her in her memory now, "I can mend a broken wing, I'll give you everything I have…Don't walk away…"

He could see his face in her mind, in the dark, playing guitar to her. He could see his face everywhere inside her. She was thinking of him, she was going to call him. Part of him wanted to be happy but he couldn't. He could almost feel her pain in his own skin. She was suffering and he hated that. And she didn't want painkillers because they would fog her memory, and make Edward's face vanish out of her head, and his voice became too low for her to hear. They had done that once before and she had loathed it.

"Please take the painkillers, you crazy little girl.", he said aloud as he drove, knowing she couldn't hear him, wishing she could.

A flash in her mind switched and now she was tied to his table, feeling his soft sweet first kiss on her thirsty lips.

She wanted to say his name but didn't. He would come here and she didn't want that, either. Her fate was sealed and she accepted it , not wanting to be weak and change her mind now. But it would be so beautiful to be able to see him, one last time. No, no…she argued with herself, he would see her too, this ugly bald thing she'd become. She couldn't even look in the mirror herself anymore. She would see the anguish in his eyes. I couldn't bear that, she cried to herself in her pillow.

Edward roared out loud, nearly there, hating this, hearing everything she was thinking. Her heart was breaking. His was too.

"Sammi.", her mother's voice was back, trying to comfort her daughter, "Please don't cry. I'm here. I'll always be here."

"I'm here too.", Edward said, leaping off his bike and letting it hit the brick wall on the side of the parking lot, his feet moving quickly to the north side of the building where she was.

The sun was almost down now, but he didn't care if anyone saw him or not. He climbed up the brick wall of the building, with ease, as a spider would've. Her window was finally right above his head as he stopped. He promised not to see her when she got sick. Okay, but he didn't say he wouldn't be here.

Peeking in ever so slightly, he could see her feet under a white blanket in bed, and a window blind was blocking the rest of her from view. He could see her parents sitting there, crying as she slept, or tried to. He sat himself on a flagpole off to the right of the room, only listening again, not looking, into everyone's thoughts.

'My baby.', the mother thought, weeping even in her thoughts, 'She looks so broken, so weak. Please, God, take her now, end her pain, please. Hours of this is too long. Hasn't she suffered enough?"

"I need some air!", the mother leapt up, hysterical, running out as her husband followed her, trying to console her.

"Good.", Edward was glad to see them go, carefully reaching behind him, lifting the guitar around to the front of himself.

He began to play a made up melody, and pushed her window open a tiny crack so she could hear it in the wind outside.

"I'm here Sammi.", he whispered, closing his eyes, "I'll be here with you, to the end."

He knew she couldn't hear his voice but he said the words anyway. Her mind was listening to the music now, and her heart was beating a little bit faster, as much as it possibly could. Edward gave a weak smile at this, still playing for her. She wanted to jump up and run to the window but couldn't. Her body was useless to her, she could hardly turn her head to look towards the sound of the music.

"No.", she coughed a little, sounding afraid. No, Edward, please, she spoke to him in her thoughts, don't look in here, don't come in, you promised me!

The guitar playing stopped. She could hear his voice thru the cracked open window.

"I'm not looking or coming in, Sammi.", he said, "I wouldn't break my promise to you."

He could hear her cry this weak little sob, sniffling afterwards.

"Please don't cry.", he sounded wounded as he spoke, "Please?"

She spoke to him not with her voice now but her mind, knowing he could hear her.

'I'm crying cause I want to see you. But I can't.' she thought to him.

"Yes you can.", he said, not moving, "I can come in."

'NO.' she shouted in her brain at him, then softer, 'No Edward, please. I can't.'

"How about I come in, with my eyes closed?", he asked, "How would that be?"

She cried without a word, wanting him to.

"Yes?" he asked, waiting.

"I hate you.", she whimpered, then added, "Yes."

She couldn't even move her arms to cover herself up with her blanket. Wanting more than ever to cover her face, she shivered as the window slid all the way open, darkness outside.

He stepped a leg inside, slowly, carefully, black jeans on and black leather boots to match. His upper half bent and came inside next. She let out a little sob and breath upon seeing his face again. Keeping his eyes closed, he put his arms out, feeling his way closer to the bed.

"I see you're still ugly as ever.", she spoke with a raspy voice, struggling for breath as she did.

"Think to me, Sammi," he suggested, "You don't have to talk if it hurts."

He remembered trying to talk while he was dying. It sucked.

You are so beautiful, she thought to him, you've always been so fucking beautiful. Her thoughts sounded a tiny bit jealous almost. Edward didn't understand that.

"You're beautiful, too.", he stated as a fact, hearing her cry, getting weaker.

"I see that dirty little mind is still alive and well in there.", he commented on her using the f word. He wanted her to laugh but she still wept.

"Shhh.", he wanted her to stop crying, he hated it. "Can I sit down a minute? My eyes are still closed."

'Yes.' She thought back to him.

He sat in the chair at her side, his guitar in his hands, and he started to play it.

"I've got a surprise for you, Sammi.", he smiled, "You'll like this."

He played his guitar and began to sing softly,

"Looking out  
Across the night-time  
The city winks a sleepless eye  
Hear her voice  
Shake my window  
Sweet seducing sighs" he sang like an angel, so slow and sweet.

It was a Michael Jackson song, Human Nature. Now she laughed, until she started to cough. Edward stopped, almost opening his eyes to go and help her, but he didn't. He wasn't allowed.

"You learned a Michael Jackson song." She spoke with her voice again.

"See how much I love you?", he asked, then heard a dead silence.

"I miss you.", she said, hardly able to breathe.

"I miss you too.", he wanted to cry.

"It seems like a million years ago, doesn't it?" she coughed a little bit.

"Not to me.", he said sadly, "I still smell you everywhere. I keep that mattress in my room just so I can smell you. And I'm wearing your scarf right now. I wear it all the time."

He brought it to his nose and inhaled it, smiling and keeping his eyes peacefully closed.

"And I don't drink off the living anymore.", he informed, "I went home to my family. They're all helping me get used to being a vegetarian, they call it. Maybe in a year or so, I can start going to school again, once I get better control of my thirst. My eyes aren't even red anymore. They're like a goldish-red color now. Soon they'll be completely gold. Once you stop drinking human blood, the red goes away."

"That is so wonderful Edward.", she sounded so filled with pride, "I knew you could do it. You are so strong. Are you liking it there, with your family? Are you having fun, finally?"

"Oh yea.", he smiled, "It's **really** fun there. Just today my sister was trying to put make up on me. The house is full of light all the time, and there's always someone around to do something with. It's really great."

She laughed, sounding so happy for him He was on his way to being that better man. She felt herself relax a bit. He was in good hands. Her prayers were answered again.

"Edward.", she said weakly, "Will you do me a favor?"

"I will do anything for you.", he said without any hesitation,"If you want the _**sun**_, I'll bring it to you."

"I am wearing the necklace you gave me.", she said, "I want you to take it off my neck and I want you to have it."

"It's yours, I gave it to you.", he said, sounding a little hurt, "You don't want it anymore?"

"Silly Edward." She rolled her eyes. "I haven't taken it off since you put it on me. I just don't want anything to happen to it. It might get stolen after I…go."

"I would crush anyone who would even think of trying that.", he said with anger in his voice.

"That is very sweet of you," she said, a little sarcastically, then with a serious tone, continued, "I don't want anyone else to have it but you. This is just yours and mine. Please?"

He sighed a short sigh, saying, "Okay."

Slowly, he moved towards the bed more, reaching his hand out until he made contact with her. She wanted to reach up and touch his hand but her arms were dead at her sides. That thought killed Edward as he found her shoulder, swallowing and moving over to the neck area, feeling the chain.

"Got it." He smiled, bringing his other hand up to join it, moving carefully to the clasp, undoing it, and slipping it off her neck, taking it into his palm.

"Got it.", he repeated, finished. But he didn't want to move back to the chair.

He stayed there, waiting, his sweet eyes still closed to her. Even more than her not wanting him to see her as she looked now, she didn't know if she could stand seeing his sad eyes. She was too weak to resist them right now.

"Go back Edward.", she demanded, afraid.

"I can't.", he breathed, gripping the metal sides of her bed, "Sammi, when are you going to stop this and let me save you?"

"Edward, don't or you'll have to leave.", she begged in utter exhaustion. If he started to argue this with her now, she'd probably say yes.

"I can't just sit here and listen to you die.", he pleaded, sounding heartbroken and desperate, "Please, Sammi! I'm better now. I love you! I swear it! "

He could hear her parents coming back, but he could give a fuck right now.

"I love you Edward." She cried, "But I said no. I'm ready for this. I'll be okay. So will you."

"No Sammi.", he sounded like he was crying. The door was about to open.

Like a blur of wind, he was gone as her parents came back inside.

The window was open a small crack again and the guitar was gone too. He was still there, and she knew it. She knew he'd stay until her life was over, in case he could make her change her mind. It was so hard now, staying on her path, knowing he was waiting to claim her. She wanted him to come in and take her for his own. That's what was scaring her so much.

She dreamt of it, him breaking through the window with ease, grabbing her limp body up into his muscular arms, his kiss deep into her neck as he drank her completely, devouring all of her, his fingers digging into her hair and back. Then he brought her white dying face to his neck, holding her head there with one hand while she lapped at his blood.

"Drink me.", Edward's voice was deep and aroused, telling her what to do to be with him forever. She closed her eyes and almost said his name, almost called to him to do it. Edward leaned in towards the window, seeing it too, his thirst was coming back. He wanted her now. CALL ME, he almost screamed in his mind, and waited.

'No Edward!', Sammi snapped herself out of it, knowing Edward could see her mind working too, 'Please stay out, please! I can't think about this.'

An hour later, her parents had not left the room at all. Edward was still playing his guitar, every now and then one of her parents would wonder, "Where is that music coming from?" But Sammi liked it so they didn't protest.

He still had not peeked in to see her, as he promised, but he waited for his chance to come back in and plead his case one more time. But the chance never came. They stuck to her like glue, knowing she had so little time left.

Sammi, please, don't do this to us, he begged in his heart, wanting to smash in there and turn her now. Doctors had come in later and were examining her. One of them pulled her arm a bit too roughly and she screamed so loud, Edward almost came in there and killed him. But, as she and now Carlisle had taught him, he controlled it.

"Edward." Alice's voice came from below. He looked down and saw her there, on the wall, crawling up like a little fairy.

"Alice, what do you want?", he hissed, "Got my lip gloss?"

"I'm here to be with you, stupid.", she informed, frowning, "I knew something was very wrong."

"I don't need you, go away.", he sneered.

"Don't give me that macho crap Edward.", she sat next to him on the flagpole, "I'm your sister and I love you and I'm going to help you through this so shut the hell up!"

He couldn't help it, he had to laugh. She smiled a bit at him as he started playing another song, peeking at the parents…still not leaving her alone. Damn it.

"Who's in there ?" Alice asked carefully.

"The most beautiful girl in the world.", he informed, playing on.

Alice peeked inside but Edward flung her back against the wall.

"Don't look in there.", he growled under his breath, "Leave her alone."

"That's her, isn't it?", Alice was dead on accurate, as always, "The one you told me about?"

"Yes it's Samantha.", he didn't look up from his guitar, "Sammi."

"It's happening, isn't it?" she observed.

"Yes.", Edward said without emotion.

"Did you get to see her?" Alice pondered aloud.

"For a minute.", he answered with a bit of venom, feeling cheated, "She got mad at me. Told me to stay out."

"Why, what did you say?", she raised a brow, knowing him.

"I asked her when she's going to stop this and let me save her.", he replied, seeing nothing wrong in that.

"Oh Edward.", Alice frowned, "Doesn't she have enough to worry about?"

"She'd have no worries at all if she let me change her."

"Oh yea, you're right. She'd only have the thirst, the death, the loss of her family, then the fun task of learning to be satisfied with animal blood.", Alice ticked off all the worries on her fingers, "Not to mention, being trapped with YOU for all eternity. Who deserves THAT?"

Edward growled at her, not answering.

Maybe she doesn't WANT to be changed, simple as that.", Alice pointed out, "Do you want her to change, or do you like her just the way she is?"

"I love her just the way she is.", he stated.

"You're hurting her, you know.", Alice informed, "She can handle the physical pain, but you are breaking her little heart. Every note you play is you begging her to give up and go with you. You're messing up her last moments."

"Shut up Alice!", Edward played louder, wanting to tune her out.

"When a human dies, their last moments define the course of their next life.", Alice revealed, "You letting her die with this broken heart is just beyond cruel. She will have a sad life next. Do you want that? "

"No, I want her happy, like she always is.", he said softly, stopping his song.

"Then you have to let her go, Edward.", Alice petted the back of her brother's silk hair, "Do it for her. She has already decided this is where she wants to go. I know you love her in a special way but I told you, I've seen the future. The love of your life is still not even born yet."

Edward frowned, not believing her, staring at Sammi's little feet.

"I want _**her**_.", Edward said like a child.

"Do you want to see her one more time?", Alice asked sweetly, looking at his mixed reddish-gold eyes in the darkness.

He nodded without a word, knowing he had to make this right.

"Okay, I will handle everything, big brother.", she climbed up one window, slipping inside, "Wait till I give you the signal."

Edward stared at the lifeless feet under the blanket for a minute or so, then saw Alice coming into the room wearing a nurse's uniform.

"Oh Jesus.", he muttered, not believing his own eyes as she spoke to the parents, having them follow her out of the room, giving Edward a thumbs up sign.

Without a peep, Edward climbed into the window again, closing his eyes like before.

"Sammi?", he called in a whisper, "Don't worry, I have my eyes closed. I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I just want to talk for a minute. Is that alright?"

He heard her thinking to him, not speaking.

"I can't talk anymore Edward.", she thought, "I lost that about an hour ago. I have this awful plastic tube in my throat anyway. It's supposed to help me breathe."

Oh God! He wanted to scream but he didn't want to further upset her. His voice cracked a bit as he spoke again.

"You babble too much anyway.", he tried to make a joke. Her body in front of him did nothing but wheeze but her could hear her laugh in her head, still young and filled with life where it counted.

"Look who's talking!", she shot back, "Jerk."

"I like when you call me a jerk.", he grinned.

"I'm glad.", she said in sarcasm, "I so love calling you a jerk."

"Sammi.", he cleared his throat, "I'm so sorry for hurting you, yelling at you, trying to make you change who you are. I'm not doing that anymore. I love who you are and I'd never try to change a thing about you. I was just being selfish, thinking of me again. Guess I'm not all better after all."

"Well you're a man.", she sounded like she was smiling in her mind, while her body here was only a shell now, "It's not all your fault. And I told you, the road for you is long. But you'll get there."

"Does it hurt a lot?", he dared to ask.

"Yes.", she didn't lie, "You know how it is. I don't have to sugarcoat it for you. I keep holding onto our memories together, it helps a lot."

"Good.", his voice broke again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go with you, Edward.", she sounded hurt, "I know I hurt you, too. Please don't hate me."

"I could never ever hate you.", he breathed, "And I understand. You're too beautiful to be one of us anyway."

"Edward?", she asked.

"Yes Sammi?", he kept his eyes shut, answering.

"Can you please hold my hand?", she asked mentally, "Without looking at me?"

"I would love to.", he smiled, feeling around for her tiny hand, finding it, "And I am looking at you, in my head. I see your long beautiful hair, your emerald eyes, soft, full pink lips that shine. Your ivory skin. You are forever beautiful. Don't forget that, Sammi."

Her mental voice cried, not answering.

"Your hands are as cold as mine now.", he observed, putting both his hands around hers, bringing them to his lips and giving it a tender kiss.

"It's happening, Edward." She informed, "I can feel it."

He let out a gasp, hearing her heartbeat slowing even more now. He wanted her last moments to be with him but he heard himself ask, "Do you want your parents?"

"No, just you, Edward.", she begged, "Don't let go. Stay with me."

"Always.", he promised, kissing her hands again.

"I won't ever forget you, Sammi.", he whispered, "You saved my life. Wherever you're going, I want you to go there the same happy little girl you were when I met you. You got that? Don't cry over me, I'm fine. I want you to fly now. Be the dancing wind, Sammi. Twirl. "

He still held her hands tight but he knew he was letting her go, tearing his soul from hers, so it would be light again…and soar, finding more beautiful places than this to dance in.

She sounded so relieved and so full of joy when she responded in her thoughts.

"God, how much I love you Edward!", she squealed in happiness, "I love you SOOOO much, my sexy little vamp boy!!"

He laughed, the heartbeats were so far apart now…coming to a horrid crawl.

His eyes clenched closed now, tense, feeling her slipping out of his reach.

"I love you too, my naughty catholic school girl.", he made her laugh again. He bent down, without looking, and laid a moist deep kiss on her cheek, thinking heaven will never be the same now, Sammi's coming. She will truly make the place beautiful…and wild.

"Do you see anyone?", Edward asked, curious, jealous, "Like your guardian angel or something?"

He wanted to make sure she was going somewhere wonderful, even if it meant some other lucky being was getting to escort her there, away from him. If there was even a hint that there was nothing after her death, he would jump in at the last moment and take her as his, whether she liked it or not.

"Yes I do.", she sounded in awe, "He is so beautiful, Edward."

"Good.", Edward was truly jealous, hating him.

"He is holding my hands.", she informed, "He has the most gorgeous reddish brown hair, white skin, cute little nose, sexy, masculine lips, and closed reddish gold eyes. And a cute little dent in his chin. He is perfect."

"Sammi.", he smiled, keeping his eyes closed, tears in them now.

"He has a nice ass, too.", she added, from her mind, roaring with laughter. The bad little girl was back.

"SAMMI !", he felt himself blush as much as a vampire could.

"I feel something." She said suddenly, sounding serious now, "I see light. Oh God, so much light. It's so warm. I can hear music, too."

"That's your ride.", Edward informed, relieved there was an Eden calling to her, "Go towards it, Sammi. Let it take you home."

"I'm scared.", her voice echoed a little in Edward's head, "I'm afraid to let you go."

"No, don't be scared.", Edward soothed her, "All the scary things are gone now. They can never touch you again. Go to it, let go of me. You can move now and leave this poor worn out body behind. You're stronger than me now and faster, and you can fly. Reach up and float to it. You won't fall. It's alright. I promise. Try."

"You are my guardian angel.", she sounded so strong now, "You give me so much strength. Thanks Edward."

"Thank _**you**_.", Edward shook a little, "For everything. Goodbye my beautiful angel. Be happy.", he repeated her last words to him in the woods that day.

"I'm doing it. I'm floating! This is wild ! Bye Edward….", her voice was fading, as if she were soaring up and away from him, her laughter was mixed into the words, like music, "Bye, bye bye!! I love you, I love you !! Wooooooo !!!!! OH GOD !! I'm flying, Edward! Edwarrrddddd!!!!"

She went toward heaven saying his name, a vampire. And God still let her inside, openly, without judgment or anger. Maybe she was a good God after all.

The heart monitor went flat, the dull beep drawing out like a blade. His breath came out in one long sob, his eyes red and wet as nurses and doctors came charging inside, pushing him out of the way. He nearly opened his eyes but didn't. Crawling blindly out the window, he climbed up to the roof, sobbing, like a dumb animal.

He couldn't wait to get to the top, and as soon as he did, he let out the most gut wrenching, inhuman scream he could muster, it made the birds above fly away in terror. Even the moon seemed to jump and look at him with a frown.

Collapsing into a heap on the wet rooftop, Edward just wanted to die, too. He cried, not caring who knew or saw. Finally, a little hand touched his arm.

With a jerk, he turned, seeing Alice there, looking sadly back at him, stroking his hair.

"Go ahead and cry.", she allowed him, not saying anything more. He cried louder, crawling over and burying his head in her lap, holding her, feeling her arms curl around him lovingly. At that moment, he knew how much he needed his family, like Sammi had told him. Alice rocked him gently, kissing his hair, closing her eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------------

At Sammi's funeral, a million people showed up. The cemetery was an ocean filled with humans under umbrellas. Everyone seemed to notice the tall pale stranger watching from a few feet away, getting soaked from standing out in the rain with no umbrella at all. His stare was blank and lethal. No one dared to approach him.

That one pale stranger always came back to the quiet grave. One day he gave a gift to Sammi's mother there, a beautiful headstone made of black marble, almost as large as a dining room table top.

Sammi's mother almost said no to the boy, but when she saw the face of the stone, she was breathless.

Sammi's name was carved into it with flawless precision, no other lettering she'd seen from other stone cutters was more beautiful than this, she had observed aloud to the boy that day. It looked like something a princess would have carved on her grave. So much detail, it looked like it took weeks to design and create.

There was a poem carved in it, She Walks in Beauty, one of Sammi's favorites, the mother had said. There was also a gorgeous pencil sketch trapped in the marble, a picture of Sammi's face asleep, her arms curled around her smiling mouth, and a pair of little wings sat on her back.

The boy had told her he'd sketched that of Sammi a short time ago, while she slept in class. Not sure she believed that one, Sammi's mother decided not to pry into it any further. The boy looked so nervous in that moment.

There was no mention on the stone of what year she was born and what year she died. The boy told her that it didn't really matter, because she was never really born, just as the sun and ocean were never really born, and her life would never really end, so he left that out of the stone. She has always been alive, and is still alive, he told her, and she nearly cried right in front of the teenager.

One more thing stood out at the bottom of the stone, in giant letters, under her name, two words: F O R E V E R B E A U T I F U L

She had to accept this gift. It was perfect and the biggest stone in the whole cemetery. Sammi loved doing things big, her mother knew already.

"You did this?", she asked him, amazed.

"Yes.", he lowered his eyes a bit.

"How did you? It's exquisite and it looks like it took forever to make." She was almost speechless.

"I have a lot of time on my hands.", he smiled slightly, "It's not as good as she deserves, but I think she'd like it."

He looked so pleased when she accepted it, and after loading it into her car, he began to walk away.

She asked him his name and he just said, "I'm a friend."

Felix was with her that day, and she had asked the teenager to watch over him for a moment. For some reason, she instantly trusted him. When she came back from the ladies' room, Felix was in the back seat, locked in the car, shaking all over, saying something silly about the teenage boy had glowing red eyes, and how he was going to eat him if he wasn't good to his parents from now on. Boys, Sammi's mother rolled her eyes and ignored it.

"Hi Sammi.", Edward sat Indian style on the grass beside the new headstone, wiping it off a bit with a towel he'd brought. He had a duffel bag filled with cleaners and towels, brushes. He took the dead flowers out of the holder at the base, and put gorgeous red roses in its place.

"I know, I'm cleaning too much.", he picked the couple weeds out of the green grass around her stone, "Neat freak Cullen, here."

"I brought you back your necklace.", he opened the velvet box and laid the necklace gently over the top of the headstone, the cross part dangling right beside her name, her picture a bit underneath it.

He stroked the face of the picture in the marble, glad he drew that picture of her while she slept that night. He didn't want anyone to ever forget that lovely face. He never would.

"Don't worry, little girl.", he smiled, "No one is going to take this necklace away from you, ever."

And he tapped his fist down once over the necklace, embedding it into the marble stone, locked out of anyone's reach. It still sparkled in the sun, like him.

"I know you're not really HERE.", he looked around, "This place is too dead and cold and boring for you to hang out in. I'm sure you're bungee jumping or flying over the rapids right now, somewhere warm and sunny. I wish I were with you. I am with you. I'm going back to school tomorrow. I'll be a junior again. I hope I don't fall asleep in the middle of class…and I have to pretend to eat during lunch period."

He talked on and on that way all the time, for hours, just hanging out with his best friend.

See next chapter !

One left !!

Hope you guys are liking it!

Thanks for sticking with me through all these chapters !

Love

WinndSinger


	25. Chapter 25

-------------------------------2008---------------------------------------------

Edward pulled up to Bella's house in his silver Volvo, not parking in the driveway as her humongous jalopy truck took all the room. He laughed, looking at it with distaste. Maybe he could make a tree "accidentally" fall on it or something.

He was waiting in the running car, knowing Bella wouldn't be ready yet. The movie would be starting in ten minutes, but if he drove the way he liked, he could get them there in time for the coming attractions.

Her window opened at the top of the house and she darted her head out, yelling, "I'm coming, Edward, I'll be right there !"

"Okay!", he shouted back, smiling to himself. She was always late.

The song he had been listening to was ending as he waited. He turned on the heater for Bella, there was an October chill in the air.

"Here's a blast from the past.", the DJ on the radio announced, "Mister Mister. Broken Wings."

Edward smiled, turning up the volume. He used to hate this song but now it was one of his favorites.

"Baby, I don't understand

Why we can't hold on to each other's hands

This time might be the last I fear

Unless I make it all too clear

I need you so." , the singer sang softly and Edward closed his eyes, inhaling and remembering the scent of lemons and oranges, smiling peacefully.

"Take these broken wings

And learn to fly again

Learn to live so free", Edward sang along with the singer.

"And when we hear the voices sing

The book of love will open up and let us in.",

Edward kept singing the words, laughing and recalling his words to Sammi, "Your mind is full of bad girl things!"

"Baby I think tonight we can

Take what was wrong and make it right.

Baby it's all I know

That you're half of the flesh and blood

That makes me whole

Need you so." , he sang along knowing every word.

You never called me again, he said to Sammi in his mind, knowing wherever she was she could hear him. He fully believed she was in heaven, with God, and that She was taking good care of his best little friend. Sammi was no doubt doing good still, helping people in need of a special angel.

You fought bravely, and you had a good death, he said to her. I'm so proud of you, my little fighter. You were a great girl. I still miss you Samantha. I hope I'm making you proud. Can you see me?

A gust of wind flew by his car window and moved around to the street, twirling around in a perfect circle, dancing with leaves of every color and shape. He smiled fully, dazzled by her beauty once more. She was dancing again and she was here, still his friend. He could've sworn he heard her laughter in the air.

"Sorry ,sorry!", Bella rushed into the car, her hair all over the place from the wind.

"Go, GO!", she said, knowing they were going to be late.

He just smiled at her, not moving, tears almost came to his eyes. The love he felt for Bella consumed him, filled his soul with fire and passion. Sammi was right. She was so worth waiting for.

"What's wrong?", Bella asked, stunned by his beauty.

"I love you more than anything, Bella.", he said, fully meaning it, feeling it in every cell of his being. His heart was so open and full now, and he understood what Sammi was saying to him so long ago. He wasn't empty anymore. Because of her, he could fully love someone now, with a wide open heart.

"I love you too, Edward.", she replied, her eyes glazing up a bit with happy tears, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing.", he smiled more, touching her hair, "Everything is so right. I've never been this happy in my whole existence. I just wanted you to know that."

She smiled back, leaning in and kissing his lips with that feisty Bella trademark, her skin covered with flowers' scent. Who cared about making the movie anymore?

"Bella, can I tell you a story?", he asked, trusting her not to get jealous or upset. There was no need for it but he wanted her to know this, he had never told anyone else except Alice about Sammi before. He wanted to share this with her.

"Sure.", she said, "You can tell me anything."

And he believed her. He wanted to introduce them to each other, and take Bella to that often visited spot where an angel slept peacefully. He hoped Bella wouldn't find it morbid.

"Good.", he kissed her hand and began to drive away, saying, "It was 1987 and ten years earlier, I had left Carlisle's house to go off on my own. I was fed up with living off animals and wanted to hunt human blood…"

'Be happy Edward… and Bella.', a faint little giggling voice blew through the air as the car curved around the bend.

THE END.

That's it, over, done!

I'm glad you guys all liked it. I loved writing it.

Thanks for all the great reviews! You're all the best !

Love

WinndSinger

PS check out my other stories on this fanfiction page. Look at one called

Experiments. Edward has a real rough time in that one, it's with Bella.

BYE BYE BYE !!!


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